Operation: Bring home Naruto
by Dragonwannabe
Summary: Hinata's been assigned the mission of getting Naruto back home safely after his last dangerous assignment. But can she handle the undercover identity as his girlfriend that she’d been given without revealing her true feelings for him?
1. Kunoichi Tea Party

Operation: Bring Home Naruto

I. Kunoichi tea party

She drummed her long fingers with their dark red lacquered nails on the desk as she stared thoughtfully at the four names before her. She felt she knew relatively little about these young kunoichi even though she'd personally trained one of them. It was difficult to know the true capabilities of any shinobi unless one had successfully entrusted his or her life to one. She didn't have the luxury or time for personal testing. Her instincts would have to be enough. She studied the names again.

Sakura Haruno

Ino Yamanaka

Hinata Hyuga

Tenten

All of their instructors praised them highly, but that was to be expected—they were chûnin. The question was: Which one could successfully undertake the mission she had in mind? She needed more than a good fighter. She needed a convincing actress—or better yet a young woman who cared. Which one of these young kunoichi could handle a mission requiring subtly and nuance? Well, she would soon find out.

She pulled out a handful of stationary, and began to compose invitations.

* * *

Hinata hesitated before the fifth Hokage's reception room door. 

She'd been sent an invitation to tea. It had come as a total surprise to her. She thought she'd barely registered on the Hokage's radar screen. Her teacher and friend for many years, Kurenai Yuhi had always been the only one to notice and have faith in her abilities. That faith and the curiously invigorating but sporadic encouragement of Naruto Uzumaki, a fellow shinobi, had helped her succeed when she'd needed to. Although she'd only passed the chûnin exam on her third try, since then she had managed one successful B, several C, and a great many D missions. Her skills were improving slowly but steadily.

Her real problem was that despite the special Huyga ability, the byakugan, she couldn't maintain and sustain an adequate degree of self-confidence. It was her lack of confidence now that kept her hesitating at the Hokage's door wondering why she'd been sent for. Surely, there were any number of chûnin and even jônin who were more successful and capable than she. Why would the Hokage seek her out above the others?

She would still be standing at the door wondering if there had been some mistake if Tenten hadn't reached around her to knock then swing the door open. She ignored Hinata, brushing by her and walking confidently into the room. Knowing now that she wasn't being singled out, shyly ducking her head and pushing her index fingers nervously together, Hinata followed.

She walked forward into the room behind Tenten and slowed as she noticed Sakura and Ino sitting in opposite chairs glaring at one another. It suddenly dawned on her that this tea may indeed be a social occasion and not some special recognition by the Hokage. For some reason that made her feel more at ease. She hurried forward again and sat down on the nearest chair to the door.

"So you've been invited, too." Sakara stated the obvious looking from Tenten to Hinata and making no effort at further greetings.

"Why shouldn't they be invited? You didn't think you were special, did you?" Ino retorted. "I'm surprised you didn't dress better in that case."

"There's nothing wrong with the way I dress. I'm wearing my favorite outfit. I've had many compliments on my outfit."

"Only from boys—and they're more interested in what you're not wearing which in that outfit isn't very much."

"Who made you the fashion police? Besides, I don't see you dressing like a nun. You're practically falling out of that blouse."

"Why don't you both shut up? You both look like sluts," interrupted Tenten in a bored voice. She wore the same thing she always did. She was as ready as always to begin fighting.

I'd rather look like a woman than a boy," Sakura thought, but said nothing aloud. She didn't feel as comfortable insulting Tenten as she did Ino. She didn't know her very well and wasn't sure she wanted to. "I thought I'd been invited to be congratulated on my engagement." Sakura said instead and flipped her hair back with her left hand showing off her ring. "Tsunade was my teacher after all."

"As if the Hokage cares about that. She has more important things to think about than your stupid engagement," Ino sneered.

"You're just jealous," Sakura said smugly.

Ino almost gaped at her nerve. "Of you? As if," she said indignantly, but truth be told Ino was a little jealous. She'd been working on a particular shinobi herself who still didn't seem to notice her even though she'd thrown herself in his path every chance she got. It wasn't fair that Sakura had gotten engaged without even trying. Ino was much better looking than she was—and nicer—and stronger. Why wasn't someone pursuing her as persistently as Lee had done Sakura? It wasn't fair.

"My fiancé is the best chûnin of his age in the village."

"Says who? He's never beaten Neji. They're close enough in age."

Sakura waved her left hand dismissively. "Of course Lee won't beat Neji. They're teammates. He hasn't had any reason to fight Neji."

"As if boys or men need a reason to fight. I seem to remember being teammates didn't stop Sasuke and Naruto from fighting against each other."

Sakura flushed. "How dare you mention Sasuke to me! I never want to hear his name again. The Uchiha name has been banned in the Leaf Village."

"I'm not talking about the Uchiha's. If Sasuke were here, you wouldn't be engaged now," she said knowingly.

"Liar!" Sakura clenched her fists. "I'm so over him, and have been since he left. Maybe you're the one with a torch for the traitor."

"As if I'd betray my village in any way. I don't even think about him anymore."

"Then why did you mention him?"

Ino shrugged. "It was just an example."

"If that's the best example you can offer you should have kept your mouth shut."

"Maybe both of you cats should shut your mouths," Tenten finally interrupted again. "Where's the Hokage? When's this party starting?"

"What do you care? When was the last time you were invited for tea?" demanded Ino.

"Never, but if I'd known it would be this exciting, I'd have stayed home sick."

"How can you say that? It's an honor to be invited by the Hokage for any occasion," Sakura rebuked her.

"Save your sucking up for the Hokage, Sakura. It doesn't do you any good with just us."

Hinata sat listening wide-eyed to the bickering. She hadn't realized there was such a fierce rivalry between Sakura and Ino, or that Tenten was so bitchy. She didn't have any friends among the shinobi except for her teammates Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka. And they probably wouldn't be her friends if they hadn't been forced to work with her on a team. She'd always been shy and never knew how to make friends. Even when they were in classes before ever being accepted as a jônin, she rarely talked to anyone. It was a surprise to find that the other kunoichi in her year weren't exactly friends, either.

"For your information, Ino, I don't suck up. I think Hokage Tsunade is a role model for every female in the village."

"Model is certainly the right word. If I hear one more guy talk about her chest, I'll barf," said Tenten.

"And how young she looks! No one would ever guess her real age," Sakura said admiringly, completely ignoring Tenten's contribution.

"She certainly is beautiful. Beauty, brains and power—that's some combination," Ino was for once in agreement with Sakura.

Before the Hokage admiration society could go another round of compliments, the woman herself entered the room followed by a serving girl bearing a tea tray. She was everything the young women had said of her plus blonde and elegant. She would be a hard act for any woman to follow of any age. Not one of the young women in the room could stifle the small spark of envy they felt while watching her voluptuous figure cross the room to sit gracefully in the remaining empty chair. However, the smile she gave each of them wasn't smug, pitying or superior. It was merely the friendly smile any of the older generation would have given the younger one. It made each of them feel comfortable and welcome.

"It's very nice having you here, my young kunoichi. I find this business tends to become very fraternal if we're not careful. Men generally outnumber women, but that doesn't mean the kunoichi aren't just as valuable as the male ninja. There are definitely things women can do that men can't especially in undercover work. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, ma'am," answered Sakura promptly hanging on Tsunade's every word. The fifth Hokage was definitely her role model.

"I hope you all like green tea. I think it's the most healthful tea of all the varieties. I've drunk it all my life."

Sakura took the initiative to respond once more. "Really? I've never had green tea."

"I drink it everyday myself, ma'am," Ino was pleased to find something in common with their beautiful leader that Sakura didn't already have.

Tsunade poured out the tea for each of her visitors. She waited for them to add lemon, sugar, milk or nothing to their cups, stir and take a sip before speaking again. "What do you think? Tenten? Hinata?"

Tenten grimaced. "I think I like oolong better even if it isn't healthy."

Hinata nodded her head, but after Tenten's remark had to make a more accurate response. "It's good," she said.

"Have a cookie?" Tsunade offered around the table. Once all her guests had their mouths full, she asked another question. "I suppose you're wondering why I invited you to tea? I thought I'd like to get to know my kunoichi better. I want to be certain there's equal treatment between the males and females of the shinobi. Tell me what do you think of the quality of your missions?"

"I've never been assigned an A mission. When do we qualify for the better missions?" Tenten demanded fearlessly.

"Even as chûnin your work is being judged and your performance weighed. Experience is the important thing you lack. Once you've proven yourself on enough smaller missions, you'll be eligible for higher quality ones."

"How long does that take?"

"That depends on you. You must always be learning and improving your skills. Do your teammates trust you to be there for them or are they generally rescuing you from tight spots? You must take initiative whenever possible to prove yourself competent and confident to handle any situation."

"Why are we always with the same teammates? Can't teams be mixed up more?" Ino asked thinking of one particular teammate that drove her crazy sometimes with his lack of seriousness and demands for barbeque.

"There will come a time when your teams will change. However, we've found that there's nothing as formidable as knowing implicitly the skills of those you work with. Trust develops more quickly when you know exactly what your team is capable of doing. If we move teams around too frequently, you won't know when and how you can count on a teammate. After working with the same teammates for the last six years, you should know them fairly well. If you fall, you know who will catch you."

"I guess that makes sense. I know my teammates pretty well, but I'd still like to work with some of the others," Ino reluctantly agreed.

"You will soon. You need to know the skills of all the other chûnin before you're qualified to teach others. If any of you are interested in teaching the younger students, that can be arranged, too. Teaching is one of the most important chûnin roles. However, before we set you on teaching tasks, we'd like you to have as much experience in the field as possible which will eventually mean a few A level missions. You need to have the respect of your students which is based on your own skills as well as your accomplishments."

"You are so wise, ma'am," Sakura told her admiringly.

"I hear you're to be wished every happiness, Sakura," she responded changing tack.

Sakura touched her hair with her left hand then brought her hand down for her ring to be admired. "Yes, ma'am. He finally wore me down."

Ino couldn't let that ridiculous statement pass without comment, "Oh, get over yourself, Sakura. You've been leading him on for years,"

"Have not! I'm only 18. That's still a little young to be tied down permanently."

"So you just want to get engaged—not married?" Ino demanded. "Is this another game of one-upmanship?"

"Of course not. I don't know about marriage, yet, but Lee's the only one who's kept my attention all this time. I've dated a few other boys, but no one else has really held my interest. Lee's the strongest, handsomest shinobi in the village." A sudden mental image of Sasuke popped into her head, but she hadn't seen him in six years so could only image him as fifteen. There was no comparison to a muscular, handsome 19 year old Rock Lee.

"What an ego! You don't deserve him, Sakura. Why don't you just wait until Sasuke comes to his senses and comes back. You can moon over him for the rest of your life."

That was hitting too close to home. "Shut up, Ino!" Sakura told her angrily. "I told you, I'm over him. Even if he came back tomorrow and was welcomed back to the village, he wouldn't compare to my Lee."

"Yeah, right. I feel sorry for Lee if Sasuke ever really did come back. You'd flock to him in a second."

"I always thought Naruto Uzumaki was rather fond of you, Sakura," Tsunade interjected. It had been an interesting interchange, but it was time to bring the conversation back under her control.

Sakura laughed. "Naruto! He might have like me, but I never really liked Naruto. I know he was my teammate, but he was really hopeless. You should have seen how long it took him to learn to control his chakra. _I_ had to give him tips. I'm really amazed he's gone as far as he has. I don't know how he's done it. Luck is a strange thing."

"He beat Neji and Gaara of the Sand Village. That wasn't luck," Hinata surprised herself with her outburst, but Naruto wasn't here to defend himself. Someone had to do it.

"That's right, Sakura. Lee admires him. You should know that," Tenten, also spoke up. She was Lee's teammate. She disliked the way Sakura acted as if she knew him best just because they were engaged. She respected Lee's abilities, but seriously doubted his taste in women.

"That's right and he's got one of the best teachers around. I'd say that qualifies him for more than just lucky. Lord Jiraiya's on your level, isn't he, ma'am?" Ino asked eager to jump on the 'find Sakura wrong' bandwagon.

"There may be some truth in that," Tsunade said dryly. "However, I wouldn't choose Lord Jiraiya to teach just anyone. He has some peculiarities that should remain to himself alone."

"So has Naruto learned something weird?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Lord, I hope not, but I'm sure to find out soon. Naruto is on his way back to the village even as we speak."

"He's been gone a while."

"He was on a special mission overseas with Lord Jiraiya."

"What was it?"

"Was it successful?"

"Was it an A mission?"

"I can't give you any details. They were sent to protect a very important person. It was an A mission, and it was successful. Naruto saved his life."

"Wow."

"Way to go, Naruto."

"How did Naruto manage to get an A mission?" Tenten asked in a disgruntled voice.

"The skills decided the mission. Naruto and Lord Jiraiya have specialized skills that were necessary to this mission. That's all I can tell you."

"Damn. You used to be teammates with Naruto, Sakura. You could have been on an A mission if you'd stayed on his team."

"What do you mean? We're still teammates—when he isn't being pulled off for special missions. Everything changed when Sasuke was injured during the chûnin exam. He and Kakashi went off. Naruto and I get different teachers. Then Sasuke went off completely. Nothing's been the same since," Sakura almost whined. It was true. Sasuke ruined her career. Now she was relegated to healing instead of fighting. She had even more reason to hate him besides his deserting her.

"These things happen. You've done very well with your new skills, Sakura. Your career is going quite nicely. You should have no regrets."

"What about me?" Ino demanded. She was tired of hearing about Sakura.

"You're doing well, too, Ino. I think you're almost ready for a change in your training."

"Really? What kind of change? A new team?"

"Maybe. We'll see."

"I want an A mission." Tenten didn't wait to be asked.

"When the right one comes in, you'll have your A mission."

"When will that be? Lee and Neji are my teammates. They _are _the best shinobi of our year. Surely, we're qualified for an A mission by now."

"I don't control the type of missions we receive. We don't accept all the A missions that we're offered. We can't afford the loss of life some so obviously require. Just be patient, Tenten. Patience is an important quality for a shinobi."

"If you say so, ma'am."

Tsunade turned her head and suddenly it was Hinata's turn to be in the spotlight. "What about you, Hinata? Have you anything to ask about your missions?"

She shook her head.

"Well, then, have you had enough tea? Cookies?" When Hinata nodded, Tsunade asked, "Sakura? Ino? Tenten?"

They declined more tea and cookies, too. "If no one needs anymore tea or cookies, then I proclaim this tea party concluded. Thank you for coming, young kunoichi. We'll do this again sometime."

Tenten was the first out the door. Ino waited for Sakura to give her gushing goodbye and left with her. She didn't want Sakura to get the jump on her for the Hokage's attention, and she wanted to needle her some more about Sasuke on the way home.

Hinata was ready to scamper quickly from the room after them when the Hokage stopped her.

"Hinata, may I speak with you for a moment alone?"

She nodded and came back into the room sitting down in the same chair she'd previously occupied.

"This tea party was more than a simple getting-to-know-you tea. I wanted to access the four of you for a special mission. I need a young kunoichi for this mission—a kunoichi from Naruto's age group."

Hinata caught her breath, and felt her heart begin to race.

"Naruto made a few powerful enemies on his last mission. I'm worried about his return to the village. I'm afraid he may be intercepted. Lord Jiraiya won't be returning just yet. He was injured and requires some medical treatment. Naruto will be alone when he arrives by train in the city next week. I don't want to draw any attention to his return. I want Naruto to be warned of the dangers, and accompanied back to the Leaf Village with as little fanfare as possible. This mission must be accomplished subtly," she paused waiting for Hinata to acknowledge her understanding thus far.

"Yes, ma'am," she replied softly after a few silent moments.

"I've thought a great deal about how this mission may be accomplished. I decided that the subtle approach would be someone pretending to be Naruto's girlfriend, meeting him at the train, and accompanying him home. What do you think about this approach?"

"I—I think it's a good one," she answered breathlessly.

"I'm glad to hear you say that. Would you like to take on this mission, Hinata?"

"Me? Me? Why did you choose me?"

"You seem to like Naruto. I think you'd make a credible girlfriend since you already like him. My first thought was Sakura, but since she's gotten herself engaged, I wasn't certain it would be a good idea. Then after I learned she didn't like him—well, I don't think Sakura has the acting skills to pull it off. Neither Ino nor Tenten seemed particularly interested in Naruto as a friend or otherwise, so I quickly ruled them out, too. If you prove not to be interested, I can always fall back on one of them, but I don't think either choice is ideal."

"No, you're right," she agreed violently shaking her head. None of them liked Naruto. She was the only one who could undertake such a mission.

"Will you accept this mission, Hinata?"

Hinata stared at Tsunade. This was like a dream come true. She'd finally be working with Naruto, and more than that—she'd be pretending to be his girlfriend. Finally, he might see her as other than the small, plain, dark and weird girl he'd thought of her up to now. Finally, she might make a more positive impression.

"Well, Hinata?"

"Yes. Of course, I will," she said forcefully with more confidence than she'd displayed for a long time.

"Good. Then let's discuss all of my ideas for Operation: Bring Home Naruto."


	2. Stalking Sakura Or not?

Operation: Bring Home Naruto

II. Stalking Sakura—Or not?

Hinata walked home after the tea party on cloud nine.

Naruto's _girlfriend._ She was going to be _Naruto's _girlfriend. Sure it would only be pretend, but for an unspecified time she would effectively be _Naruto's girlfriend_. She'd liked and admired Naruto since before they were genin. She'd been the only one to notice the way he'd come back stronger than ever from every failure. She'd been the only one to notice his struggles and his solitude. She'd wanted to talk to him, get to know him even just be noticed by him in return. She'd always wished she could be his friend.

But _never_ _ever_ in her wildest dreams had she allowed herself to even think they could be more than just friends. Now, here she was with an opportunity to act out a dream she'd never allowed herself to have. She, shy, insecure Hinata Hyuga would be _NarutoUzumaki's girlfriend_. She wanted to jump up and down, scream, shout, dance something—anything to let the world know of her secret joy, but instead she continued to walk sedately home at her usual pace with nothing to shy for her excitement but a small smile on her face.

Approaching the Hyuga estate only diminished her joy slightly. She wouldn't let anything completely destroy this wonderful, surreal feeling—even the reality of her true everyday circumstances.

At least she didn't have to see anyone she didn't want to see. She no longer lived in the ostentatious Hyuga family house. Instead, she had been given housing in a bungalow at the back of the property. It was small—tiny even, but it had everything she needed—bedroom, kitchenette, bathroom, living room. Although she was allowed to join the family for all meals, she rarely did so—she wasn't exactly welcome. When she was there the conversation generally wound up circumnavigating her many inadequacies as oldest Hyuga main family offspring. If she ever wanted to bolster and maintain her own ego, she had to stay completely away from her unloving, unsupportive family—and managed to do so fairly successfully. Apparently, they were happy enough to give her a generous allowance, provide room and board and almost never see her again.

Once inside her cute little bungalow, she removed her shoes, stripped off her outer clothing, made herself a cup of ramen noodles which coincidently happened to be Naruto's favorite food, then sat down on her futon to once again mull over her fantastic day.

After Hinata accepted the mission, the Hokage had started to talk about strategy. Her mouth had been moving, and Hinata had watched it, but she hadn't heard a word until her name had been repeated for the third time. The Hokage must have seen the glazed look in Hinata's eyes as the shock of the situation had begun to overwhelm her. She'd smiled kindly at her and asked that they meet again next day to formalize a strategy in more detail for bringing Naruto home. Hinata had readily agreed, thoughts of the nature of her mission crowding out thoughts of anything else.

Now that the initial shock was wearing off, Hinata began to wonder what more the Hokage had been telling her. What important stuff had she missed? What sort of strategy did you use for a mission of this type?

As she thought about the whole girlfriend thing, she began to feel a minor panic attack. She didn't know anything about being a girlfriend. What did girlfriends act like? What did girlfriends wear? What did girlfriends do? She had no clue on any of these points. Most of her time had been spent learning to fight, training in fighting, fighting or performing other facets of her missions. She'd sometimes witnessed other girls flirting, but she'd never been on a date, never seen anyone else on a date and never been asked out by anyone—_ever_. She had no clue where young people her age hung out or what they did. How was she ever going to be a convincing girlfriend even if it wasn't for real?

She tossed and turned worrying about it all night. Maybe the Hokage had made a mistake selecting her for this mission. Maybe just liking Naruto wasn't enough to be convincing. Maybe the Hokage should have found a kunoichi with acting ability. Why did she ever think she could handle this mission? She'd allowed the idea of being Naruto's girlfriend fog her judgment. She'd barely been able to say hello to him on the few occasions they'd run into each other in the past few years. How could she ever imagine that she'd be able to pull off the pretense of being his girlfriend? What a deluded idiot she'd been! She'd never be able to handle this mission.

* * *

By the time she arrived at the Hokage's reception room the next day, she was a walking disaster. Lack of sleep and anxiety had made her look washed out and exhausted. The Hokage took one look at her, sat her down and ordered tea.

"Drink your tea, Hinata. Have some cookies. We'll talk afterwards," she instructed sitting down beside her.

Quietly, they drank tea and ate cookies. Hinata thought she'd choke on either or both of them, but instead the quiet, the calm exuding from the Hokage, her slow graceful movements, all worked to settle Hinata's nerves. She could feel her tension dissipate as the warmth of the tea seemed to seep through her body. She finally sighed in relief as her body began to feel more relaxed than she'd felt since the last time she'd had a good night's sleep.

"Is this green tea?" she asked curiously. It tasted different from yesterday.

"No, chamomile. I drink that when I feel stressed or worried. It's relaxing, isn't it? Just don't fall asleep. I'll give you some to take home and you can fully relax there."

"Thank you. I'd like that."

The Hokage allowed the silence to settle soothingly around them again before speaking. "Hinata, I took one look at you when you walked in, and knew immediately you'd been worrying all night about this mission. Haven't you?"

Hinata nodded.

"I know it seems overwhelming. You've always worked with a team in the past. This time you're on your own until you can explain the situation to Naruto. We have a week to set this up. I'm here to guide you and help you plan this mission down to the last detail. Don't you dare think you can't handle it! You can do this. Let me tell you some of things I think you can do to prepare. Okay?"

Hinata nodded again.

"One thing we're going to do is go shopping."

"Shopping?"

"That's right. I want you to look the part completely. If a stranger looks at you, I don't want that person to even consider _ninja. _I want you to look _arm candy_ completely. Do you understand that?"

This time she shook her head puzzled.

"Think of it this way. If Naruto is being followed, I want you to look as helpless and ineffectual as possible so reinforcements won't be considered. When the time comes, the fewer opponents you have to deal with the better. I don't want anyone to have a clue that you're there to support Naruto in a fight. If we have the trappings just right, your presence won't alarm, but will lull Naruto's enemies into thinking they only have one young unsuspecting shinobi to deal with—not two capable, prepared fighters. Understand now?"

Her eyes had lit as she began to comprehend the Hokage's strategy. "Yes, of course. That's a brilliant idea."

She smiled. "I thought so. I don't want to draw attention to our village by inciting a public incident. I want this situation handled quietly and subtly. Once Naruto is back home, we'll be better able to monitor strangers approaching the village and protect him. So you and I will go shopping tomorrow. Okay?"

Hinata smiled. "Okay."

"Good. Now the next problem as I see it is your lack of experience in boyfriends, dating and the like. That's true, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hinata ducked her head.

"Don't you be ashamed of that!" she told her fiercely. "You've been spending your time learning to be the best shinobi you can be. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Dating, boyfriends, engagements, marriage, children—can end your career if you want it to. I would never have reached the position I now hold if I'd stopped my career to have a family. Family generally comes first no matter what else we might want in our lives. For a woman to be Hokage, she must either put her career above all else or have a husband who's willing to assume all the household tasks, single-handedly raise the children and live with the fact that she may be killed in her next mission. It's not an easy life that we've chosen, but it's a good satisfying life. Remember that, Hinata."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Now, I have a few suggestions for you in the dating department. One: You can ask a boy you like on a date and witness first hand what dating is all about—"

"No, no, I couldn't do that!" Hinata blushed beet red. Besides there was only one person she'd like to date, and he was the very reason she needed to know about dating.

The Hokage smiled. "Then two: You can covertly observe Sakura in dating mode. There's a young lady who, I'd wager, has had a great deal of dating experience. If you research her, you'll have the dating habits of most of the female population down to an art or science."

"Watch Sakura. Of course," Hinata smiled in relief. It had never occurred to her to watch someone's date. That was a brilliant notion.

"How are you feeling now?"

Hinata looked at her in surprise. "Much better. I don't even feel tired anymore."

"Good. Why don't we arrange to go on our shopping mission two days from now? In the meantime, you learn all you can about dating, flirting, and couples interaction. We'll have another strategy talk while we shop. Okay?"

"Okay."

Hinata left the Hokage's reception room feeling 100 times better than when she'd arrived. She could do this. All she had to do was prepare. She might not have been the smartest in her classes, Shikamaru and Sakura always bore that honor, but she was always well-prepared. This would be no worse than studying for a test. She _could _do this!

She began walking slowly towards home thinking about how she'd handle this new side mission of watching Sakura. She hadn't gone far when someone grabbed her arm from behind.

"Hey, Hinata, why didn't you hear me? I've been calling your name for five minutes."

She looked up into her teammate Kiba Inuzuka's handsome face. As usual his buddy, Akamaru lumbered at his side. She patted the head he bowed down to her, "Hey Akamaru," then she looked up at Kiba. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you. I was thinking."

"You were thinking pretty hard. What's wrong? Can I help?"

She stopped walking and stared up into his face. Those were excellent questions. An incredible idea began to form in her head. "Kiba, where do people our age usually hang out at night—have fun—you know, go on dates?"

"Well, I—ah—I—ah—I guess the Dragonfly Club is the most popular hangout. I've seen some of the others there sometimes."

"You go there? On dates?"

His face reddened. "Well, you know, I went out a couple of times awhile back. Now I just go to play pool."

"Pool? What else do you do there?"

"Well, there's music and dancing. They serve pretty weak saké, too. I'd say 16 to 25 year olds hang out there usually."

"Would you take me there?" she asked looking at him intently.

"What do you mean? A date? You and me?"

It was her turn to flush. "No, no, of course not a date. I just want to find out what people our age do at that sort of hang out. It's research."

"Research? What for?"

"Just a little project I need to research, that's all. I don't really want to go alone, but I will if you'd rather not come with me."

"You can't go alone! That's a major pick-up spot. You're not going there to pick up guys are you, Hinata? I'm not going to help you with that kind of research," he told her disapprovingly.

"Of course not! I promise you I have no intention of picking up anyone. So will you go with me?"

"Yeah, I'll go. I'll teach you to play pool if you like."

"That sounds like fun. Can we go tonight?" The sooner the better as far as she was concerned. She wanted to relief herself of this fear of the unknown as soon as she could.

"Yeah, that's okay. I was going there tonight anyway."

"By yourself? I'm not messing up a date, am I?"

"Hell no! I probably would have asked Shino to come along. He's a really mean pool player."

"Good," she said in relief. She didn't want some girl mad at her for monopolizing Kiba's time.

"I'll pick you up at 8."

"That late?"

"That's not late. The place doesn't see much action until 10 even on week days. If we get there before 9 we'll get a pool table."

By this time, he'd walk her to the front gate of the Hyuga estate. "I'll meet you out here at 8. Okay?"

"Sure. See ya' then," Kiba gave her a casual wave and strode off with a jaunty hop in his step towards his own home.

Hinata hurried down the path along the side of the main house and to her own bungalow. She had to find something to wear that didn't scream _ninja. _She had a few things that would work. Since this wasn't a date, she wouldn't worry if she looked cute or sexy. She merely wanted to look acceptable and inconspicuous. That shouldn't be too hard to manage—she hoped.

* * *

She was standing at the side of the front gate precisely at 8. She wore a short black skirt, a blue silk sleeveless blouse, and black dressy sandals. She hadn't known what to do with her hair, but she felt something different was called for so she finally chose to clip it back on the sides with a pair of blue combs. She carried a black wallet purse with her identity card, some cash, and a small comb. She'd never worn make-up before, but she'd noticed that Sakura did al the time, so she managed to smuggle some red lip gloss out of her sister's room and hoped that would do.

Kiba arrived only moments after her. He looked very nice in black jeans with a red shirt. She hadn't realized how handsome Kiba was when he wasn't decked out in his serviceable ninja gear.

"Hey, you look really pretty, Hinata," he told her in surprise.

"Thank you." She was glad that it was dark and he couldn't see her blush. "Where's Akamaru?"

"I had to leave him at home. They won't let him in the club." He took her arm and steered her in the direction they needed to go.

"That's too bad. I know you hate being separated."

He shrugged. "It has to happen sometimes. Most people don't and won't understand that Akamaru is special. They think he's just a dog."

"Idiots," she sympathized.

"Damn right," he agreed.

They walked on companionably in silence for awhile. Hinata was so glad she'd run into Kiba. She never would have thought to ask him to help her if she hadn't. She would most likely have asked Kurenai for advice. She trusted her teacher more than anyone else in the world. But she wasn't certain the Hokage would want Kurenai to know about the mission. And it would have been difficult to withhold information from her. Kiba was different. She had no qualms not telling him the entire story. Besides he wouldn't understand. She didn't think he'd be as helpful, if he knew exactly what her research was all about.

As if he could read her mind, he suddenly asked, "So what exactly is this project you need to research, Hinata?"

"I'm sorry I can't give you any details, Kiba. It's a secret."

"Come on. We're teammates. You can trust me."

"With my life, but this secret isn't mine. Sorry."

"Okay. I guess I won't press you. Keep your secret. Will you be able to tell me some day? I'm dying of curiosity here."

"Maybe sometime. We'll see."

They walked on quietly for a little while. The bright lights of Main Street were glowing before them. Kiba walked her down the street past closed and opened shops, bars and eateries. He finally turned down an alley, at the end of which was a large flashing sign proclaiming the Dragonfly Club. There were a few people standing outside talking and smoking. Kiba led her up the stairs and pushed open the double glass doors.

Inside to the right was a long bar, and dance floor with small tables lined against the wall. There was loud music and strobe lights moving around the otherwise darkened room. A few people stood at the bar talking and drinking. Nobody was dancing yet.

To the left side of the room was a large opening that enclosed three pool tables with lights hung low enough to only illuminate the tables. Two were occupied. Kiba quickly steered her towards the empty one. The walls curving around the area must have muffled the sound of the music, because it wasn't as overpowering inside this enclosure. Hinata was grateful for that. It might have been great music to dance to, but under the intense the pounding of the bass shed get a headache in no time.

"See the coin slot. We pay for each game we play. Once we run out of money, we can go into the other room and dance or watch the dancing if you'd rather," Kiba leaned over and spoke into her ear. The soft, blow of his breath on her ear made her shiver.

She turned her head towards him and found his face rather close to hers. She stepped back and projected into his ear from a greater distance. "I don't know how to play."

"That's okay. I'll teach you."

He put a coin into the slot in front of the pool table and pressed a button. Balls began to drop into the slot below the coin slot. He took the pool rack off the wall, gathered the balls, and racked them up. Then he took down two pool cues from the cue rack and a cube of chalk then he chalked the tips.

Hinata watched him fascinated. She'd heard of pool from somewhere, but she hadn't a clue what it was all about. She stood by watching and waiting for further instructions.

When he was ready, Kiba leaned towards her again and began to explain and demonstrate the nuances and rules of pool.

* * *

They played for over almost two hours, eight games in all. Hinata had enjoyed herself so much, she'd forgotten that anyone else was in the room. When she finally looked up and noticed a number of people standing in line waiting for a free table and watching her play, she became self-conscious. When Kiba asked if she wanted to play again, she shook her head. She wasn't here to have fun, after all. She was here to do dating research. Playing games with Kiba was not furthering her research.

Kiba put up the pool cues, then took Hinata's arm and guided her into the other room. "Let's get a drink," he breathed in her ear as if they hadn't already had several drinks served by a waitress that moved through the room regularly taking orders. But Hinata hadn't drunk any of the saké even if it was weak. She'd stuck with non-alcoholic drinks.

"Okay. My treat this time," she reached for her purse.

He stopped her. "No way. I know you invited me, but the guy pays. It's the rule."

"What rule?"

"I'll explain later. Come on. Let's find a table. We can watch the dancing more comfortably from there."

They circled the room and finally found a small table. A waitress walked by and took their order. With such loud music, it was difficult to talk and be heard so Hinata sat back and looked around. It was almost immediately that she found her quarry.

Sakura and Lee were sitting not two tables down. Their heads were close together, they held hands—and that was all they did.

She watched them steadily for fifteen minutes—and that was all they did.

Kiba asked her to dance, but since she didn't know how she just shook her head and continued to watch Sakura and Lee.

She watched them for ten more minutes. Their heads were close together, they held hands—and that was all they did.

Kiba ordered another round of drinks.

She watched them for five more minutes. Their heads were close together, they held hands—and that was all they did.

Kiba finally asked her if she wanted to leave. She gave Sakura and Lee one more look, but they were like stone statues. She turned back to Kiba and nodded her head. He took her arm, and steered her through the crowd on the dance floor, out the door, and down the steps. There were more people than earlier standing around outside talking and smoking.

They walked back the way they'd come with Kiba holding onto her arm.

"Did you find out what you needed to know?"

Hinata thought about Sakura and Lee. Was that really what dating was all about? Just hold hands, gazing soulfully at each other, and kissing. Surely, couples who didn't know each other very well, didn't do that right away? Sakura might be more advanced a subject than she needed to study. She should have studied other couples while they were sitting there. Maybe Kiba would be willing to come back tomorrow night, so she could watch other couples.

"I'm not sure," she finally answered him.

He nodded although he had no clue what she meant. "So what did you think of the place?"

"It was interesting."

"How did you like pool? You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"I was. It was fun. Thanks for teaching me. You know, I wish I knew how to dance."

"It's really easy. All you really do is move around any way you want. Nobody does anything fancy. There's no choreography involved."

"You mean none of those people took lessons to move around like that?"

"Naw. Maybe in fancy clubs you have fancy moves with fancy names, but not in the Dragonfly. It's really easy. Next time I'll show you how to do it."

"Next time?" she looked up at him startled. How had he realized she needed to go back?

"Yeah, next time. Look, Hinata, I've been wanting to ask you for a long time. I wasn't sure how or if you would or—anyway, no matter what you think—this was a date. Our first date. Okay?"

* * *

Well, now she knew what a date was and had apparently been on one all evening. That realization had come as such a shock, that she hadn't been able to tell Kiba, there wouldn't be another one. It wasn't Kiba she wanted to date. He was just a friend. She'd never thought of him as anything but a friend. She didn't know how she was going to make him understand that without hurting his feelings, but she'd worry about that later. Life was certainly throwing her one shock after another. Her head felt like an erupting volcano. However, she managed to hold on to one important fact—she was one step closer to the start Operation: Bring home Naruto. And that plus related thoughts crowded anything off topic out of her head until her head was so full it shut down completely.

She had the best night's sleep, she'd had in ages.


	3. Dressed to kill

Operation: Bring home Naruto

III. Dressed to kill

Tree.

Tree.

Tree.

Cow.

Tree.

Tree.

Horse.

Tree.

Tree.

Tree.

Mud hole.

Tree.

Man, this was _soooo_ boring!

The steam engine rolled along the iron rails clanking and shaking past monotonous scenery much too slowly to suit Naruto Uzumaki. He wanted to be home—Now!

He'd been away from the Hidden Leaf Village for over a year. That was the longest he'd been gone since he was 12 and trained away from the village with Jiraiya for almost three years. He should have been used to being away, but it seemed like the older he got the more he missed the damned place even when he was on a short time mission. It didn't matter that he lived alone, had no family, and no close friends—there were plenty of people he cared about and missed seeing on a regular basis.

There was his old teacher Iruka Umino. He wasn't really old. He hadn't been old when he'd taught the genin classes, but he was the first older person that Naruto had looked up to. He was the first person who took an interest in Naruto, liked and encouraged him. He was the first person who ever treated him to ramen noodle dinners just because he wanted to. He was too young to be a father figure so, Naruto thought of him as he would an older brother.

There was Tsuande, the fifth Hokage with whom he enjoyed verbally sparring. Now _she_ was _old_, but she didn't look it. She looked even better than the sexy jutsu he often used to befuddle his male teachers. He liked her even though he'd had hopes of being the fifth Hokage. He'd liked the third Hokage, too and even though he'd been really _really_ old, Naruto thought he'd have plenty of time to earn the rights to the title of fifth Hokage. Now he was shooting for sixth Hokage, and made no bones about his ambitions to number five.

There were some of his fellow classmates. They'd been taught together, trained at the same time and gone through the chûnin exams together. He hadn't actually been friends with any of them, but after his three year absence they had welcomed him back by talking to him more and hanging out with him a little. He thought maybe he could be friends with some of them. He liked Kiba, Shikamaru, Lee and Choji, anyway. He wondered what they'd been up to since his absence. Bet he missed out on a lot of barbeque and pool.

Then there were a few of his teammates that he missed. First his teacher for the chûnin exams and beyond, Kakashi. He'd been mad at Kakashi for deserting him to train Sasuke, but that had actually worked out pretty well. He and Jiraiya were a good match. He'd learned more interesting jutsu stuff from Jiraiya than he probably would have from Kakashi. Plus he had the advantage of being trained by Kakashi's favorite author. He really enjoyed teasing him about the ending of the Make out Paradise trilogy which Kakashi still hadn't finished.

Last but not least, he missed Sakura Haruno, the prettiest, sexiest kunoichi he knew even counting the Hokage. By now she should no longer be pining for Sasuke so he should be able to get some quality attention from her. Just the thought of Sakura made him even more impatient to get home. Man, he couldn't wait to see what sexy ninja outfit Sakura would be wearing now.

He leaned back in his seat. No one sat beside him, so he stretched out his right leg as far as he could, crossed his left leg until left ankle met right knee, leaned back, and stacked his hands behind his head. He now felt as comfortable as he could be on the flat vinyl cushions of his train seat.

He'd been on the road (and ocean) for what seemed like forever, but had in reality only been about a week. He'd left Jiraiya not in the hospital as they'd messaged the Hokage, but heading toward a tropical island spa with a simple fractured wrist and a big yen to watch as many hotties as he could in his pretend recovery getaway. Until their mission had been accomplished, Jiraiya had been stuck in the city with little opportunity to conduct his literary research—watching semi-clothed babes. Now that the mission was completed, he'd sent Naruto back home with orders to embellish the story of his injuries to the fullest, while he took a little time off for himself. What the Hokage didn't know—the Hokage didn't need to know.

Naruto had known Jiraiya long enough not to argue. He didn't care what Jiraiya wanted to do as long as it didn't involve him. He just wanted to go home—and he especially wouldn't let a pervy sage try to stop him with a pervy vacation.

As he relaxed, he thought about everything and everybody he missed, but especially he thought about Sakura. He wondered what she'd been up to while he was gone. Did she miss him? He'd only felt a momentary feeling of guilt about taking on a mission outside of his team. Neither he nor Sakura had taken to Sai, Sasuke's replacement on their team. He was a much stranger teammate than the arrogant, aloof Sasuke had ever been. He was just plain weird. But Naruto hadn't given a single thought to how Sakura was dealing with him until now—and he was feeling a little guilty. Sakura was scary when she was mad.

He just hoped she had forgiven him for deserting her. To help that feeling along, he'd bought her a small gift from his travels—a gold, charm bracelet. Jiraiya had assured him that any woman would love it. Since Naruto had little to no experience with women, he bowed (after much argument) to Jiraiya's age and he hoped superior experience. Anyway, it was expensive so Sakura should like it, and following that logic, she should like him, too. He thought this could be just the ticket to getting her to finally agree to a date with him. He must have been the only guy from their class (except Choji and the absent Sasuke) who hadn't gone out with her yet. Maybe she was just saving the best for last.

He chuckled aloud at that thought, and settled back even more comfortably. After his initial boredom, he'd gotten so comfortable and relaxed on the train that the intense gaze of the man of average height, average weight and nondescript coloring and appearance three rows back and across the aisle watching his every move hadn't made a dent in his awareness. He was too immersed in his Sakura fantasies to notice the menacing threat too close behind him.

* * *

Hinata stood nervously on the platform awaiting Naruto's train. She'd arrived an hour early mostly because she had nothing else to do. She'd been in the city for two days following the strategy she and the Hokage (mostly the Hokage) had worked out. There had been extension preparations to make before Naruto's arrival—preparations to confuse and confound his enemies. The least of which was her personal preparations to give the impression of a fluffy, ineffectual, unconcerned girlfriend.

She tried to quell her nervousness by studying her reflection in one of the glass windows ranging the outside of the station. She tossed back her head as she'd seen Sakura do, flipped her hair and smiled at herself. Even in the weak, shadowy reflection of the clear glass, she barely recognized herself. To her it was as if some strange girl were looking back at her. It was amazing, fantastic and disorienting all at once. She wondered what Naruto would make of the change in her appearance.

She squelched her errant thoughts of Naruto. That would only make her nervous again. Instead, she thought back over the past week—a week she would never be likely to forget no matter what the final outcome.

She'd thought that the first tea party with the Hokage had been the most shocking day of her life, but there had been many more shocks to come after—from her _date_ with Kiba to her shopping trip with the Hokage. Since she'd decided to postpone how she would deal with Kiba's misinterpretation of their evening together, she thought about the shopping trip instead.

The fifth Hokage was amazing. She'd been in awe of her before just because she was the Hokage and beautiful, but now she was in awe of her as a strategist and as simply a woman. She could fully understand Sakura and Ino accepting her as a role model and Tenten wanting to be her equal. After what she'd done to transform Hinata into a quality girlfriend, she also saw the Hokage as a miracle worker.

They hadn't begun their day by shopping. Instead, the Hokage had taken Hinata first to her favorite salon. It was bright and chic with silver chrome and glass everywhere. The Hokage had been greeted warmly upon her arrival.

"Miss Tsunade, welcome. We didn't expect to see you back so soon," the professionally coiffed, manicured, and elegantly dressed receptionist greeted her.

"Today's appointment is not for me. It's for my friend, Miss Hinata," she stepped to the side and gestured to Hinata who had been lurking slightly behind her.

"Of course, welcome Miss Hinata. How will we be serving you today?"

Hinata blushed at the attention, looked shyly down at the floor pushing her index fingers together as was her nervous habit.

"We want the works, Misaki. Manicure, pedicure, mud bath, massage, sauna, hair styling and makeover. I'll supervise the hairstyling and makeover, but if you can fit me in for a massage and sauna, I'd be very grateful."

"Let me check our schedule, but I think we'll be able to accommodate one of our favorite customers," Misaki assured her.

After that everything had moved so quickly it was almost a blur in her memory. In three hours she was clipped, buffed, beaten, rubbed, soaked, sweated, brushed and painted with incredible results. She couldn't wait to do it all over again.

Hinata had been whisked away for a manicure and pedicure first. The Hokage had decided red to be her color. She'd approved a cherry-red nail polish for both hands and feet. She was given artificial nails that could be peeled off when necessary. She hadn't realized how elegant even her small hands could look with colored nails.

Next she had a massage.

At first it had seemed to hurt. She was told she was incredibly tense. But after a few minutes of kneading to the muscles of her neck and shoulders she began to melt. It felt wonderful and when it was finished her entire body felt like jello on the insides. She definitely wanted more massages in the future.

Her next stop was the mud bath.

She was told this would be fantastic therapy for her skin and pores. At first she grimaced at the thought of being entirely covered with slick, gooey mud—it sounded a lot like a shinobi mission, but once again she was brought around. The cool, wet mud hadn't felt slimy at all. It had felt like a healing coating. Once she was out of the bath and had rinsed off the mud, her skin had felt cleaner than ever. It was a strange oxymoronic experience.

Next stop on the trip—the sauna.

She had felt very shy about the sauna until she realized that she could keep her towel wrapped around her. There were a few women who lay or sat around nude. Hinata found that rather awkward. She found it even more awkward when one of those women turned out to be the Hokage. Thankfully, the Hokage was talking to another woman and simply smiled and nodded to acknowledge Hinata's presence. That left Hinata alone to close her eyes and pretend never to have seen what every man and boy in the village had been ogling over for years. She would never tell.

The last part of her transformation was the hairstyling and makeover.

Her hairstyle itself wasn't altered significantly. They only gave her a trim, but she was shown how to wear her hair in other ways with hairpins, hair ribbons, braids and a curling iron. It was amazing how little things could change her look completely. Nothing she could use as a shinobi, but definitely things she could use on her next foray into the world of dating—and most decidedly on her undercover assignment.

For some reason, the makeover had scared her the most. Makeover was such a drastic word. It seemed to call for drastic change. She was afraid of drastic change. She didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. She didn't have the self-confidence to pull off noticeable to others change.

However, in this case, makeover hadn't meant anything drastic although the results might fit that description. Even the Hokage hadn't wanted her to rely heavily on makeup. She didn't want her to look cheap. She wanted her to look classy. So she was given instructions on the use of makeup to give her subtle enhancement. She was shown how to emphasize the uniqueness of her eyes or deemphasize them if she'd rather. She was shown how to enhance her coloring and make her mouth appear lusher. The strangest thing to her was that the more subtle the effect, the more different types of colors and shades you needed to use. Nothing was applied with a broad brush. There were no large clumps of any color. Everything was drawn or stroked lightly with tiny brushes and pencils, blending and shading until even Hinata saw herself as pretty when the final results were revealed.

However, no matter what Hinata herself thought, the important thing was that the Hokage was satisfied. When they finally left the salon to do their shopping it was mid-afternoon. The saloon had provided them with lunch during treatment, so the Hokage said they wouldn't stop for any other refreshments until they were completely finished with their shopping.

She took Hinata to an exclusive dress shop she patronized, so once again the Hokage was greeted warmly and given favored client treatment. Shopping turned out not to be nearly as fun as their morning's activities. It wasn't very enjoyable taking clothes on and off and parading in front of a very exacting and critical Hokage. She must have tried on a hundred dresses before the Hokage narrowed her choices down to ten, then five, then three, then two and finally, the winner.

At the end of a grueling two hours, Hinata found herself in a cherry-red faintly white patterned silk dress with a flared skirt. It exactly matched her nail polish. It was sleeveless, with a v-neck that dipped much lower than she'd ever worn before, a gold-chained belt that accentuated the curve of her hips, and a short-sleeved, round-edged, little white jacket that was absolutely useless for warmth. The skirt fell mid-calf with a slit up one-side stopping a few inches above the knee. As she walked the shirt continuously exposed just the one leg. She found it very distracting, and when she told the Hokage as much, she'd laughed and said, "I hope so—for everyone."

Satisfied with this part of their purchase, the Hokage next had her try on shoes with the dress. There weren't as many to try on as there had been dresses, but Hinata was exhausted by the time the Hokage chose a pair of red sandals with thin red laces that tied at her ankles. There really wasn't very much to them, but they showed off her pedicure and drew attention to her tiny ankles. The Hokage liked that feature.

They left the shop with one very pleased Hokage, and one very exhausted Hinata. She'd never realized it was such hard work looking beautiful. She admired the Hokage even more for her exacting efforts.

"Let's stop for tea before we head back. I know a wonderful little shop with tables outside. I like to sit there after a long day, relax and watch the people walk by."

While they were sitting outside the Hokage's quaint, little teashop, another shocking thing happened to Hinata.

Sakura Haruno saw them and came over.

"Hokage! Hinata! What are you doing here?"

"We're having tea," the Hokage told her casually.

Sakura flushed. "I see. I'm just surprised to see the two of you together. I wouldn't have thought—that is—I'm just surprised."

"I've been introducing Hinata to the wonders of salons and shopping. She's led a very sheltered life. Would you care to join us for a cup of tea?"

Sakura quickly accepted the invitation, and then turned to stare intently at Hinata studying the makeover still enhancing her features. "You look really good, Hinata. I've never noticed before how pretty your eyes are."

"Thank you." She blushed at the attention.

"Didn't I see you at the Dragonfly the other night with Kiba Inuzuka?"

"Yes, we were there."

"Are you guys dating?"

She blushed again. "Not really. We're friends."

"Maybe we could double-date sometime. Kiba's a nice guy. He and Lee should be friends."

"Maybe," Hinata didn't want to tell her the truth. It was so surprising having Sakura act friendly towards her that she didn't want to squash everything by confessing that if they did double-date, she wanted it to be Naruto with her not Kiba.

"Great." She looked down at their packages. "What did you buy?"

Hinata looked at the Hokage for guidance. "Hinata wanted a nice dress, and asked my advice. I decided to give her more that just advice and take her to my favorite boutique."

Sakura was wide-eyed as she looked back at Hinata. Shopping with the Hokage was awesome. "Did you find something nice?"

"Yes. A red dress."

She nodded her head. "You'd look really good in red."

"She does. Red does wonderful things for her complexion," the Hokage agreed.

Hinata sat still listening to them talk about her. It was unusual, incredible and wonderful. She could get used to this.

The Hokage and Sakura continued with their girl talk until finally Sakura said, "Well, I've got some errands to run for my mother. I'd better go. I'll see you, Hinata. Good-bye ma'am," and she reluctantly left.

The Hokage laughed when Sakura was out of sight. "You've won some points with Sakura today, Hinata. This could be the beginning of a friendship—if you want it to. Now why don't you tell me about this date you had with Kiba before we get down to our strategy session."

Hinata cherished that moment when Sakura thought she was someone double-date worthy. Even if it never happened, she knew it could have happened. It was truly amazing how her circumstances in life were changing so radically with just the acceptance of one mission.

As she stood reminiscing, she smiled and relaxed looking like the pretty, carefree girl she wanted to be—only to tense again the moment the train pulled into the station.

Naruto didn't wait for the train to come to a complete stop. Nor did he bother with the steps leading down to the platform. Instead, he jumped down landing solidly on both feet. He put his hands in his pockets, and idly followed the train down the long platform, hard to miss with his bright orange jacket, ruffled sunny hair, and engaging blue eyes.

As he walked down the long platform which was a longer walk for him than most of the passengers since he hadn't waited for the train to come to a complete stop, he saw a very pretty girl in red walking towards him. She wore dark glasses and her dark hair which was pulled back with a red silk scarf swung attractively around her face as she walked. He was fascinated by the way more of her left leg was exposed as her skirt swayed with her walk. She had nice legs. He allowed his eyes to travel from figure to face. She looked vaguely familiar and yet he didn't think he'd ever seen her before. Behind the glasses, it seemed like she was looking right at him, right into his face, with a slight knowing smile on hers that widened as they drew closer. She certainly acted like she knew him.

He grinned at her just because she was pretty and he was convinced she was looking at him.

His grin seemed to rev her into action, because she suddenly ran forward and threw herself at him, her arms meeting tightly around his neck. He braced himself to stop her momentum from knocking them to the ground, withdrew his hands from his pocket and held her at the waist ready to push her away.

"Whoa," he said, and had planned to say more when he felt her warm breath and heard her soft voice in his ear.

"Pretend I'm your girlfriend," she whispered urgently.

"Wha--,' he started to protest then changed his mind, "Okay." He turned his head and lifted her up closer. Her face was still turned towards him and her lips were pursed as if she were ready to say more. With his mouth only a breath away from hers, he closed the distance covering her lips with his—and then he kissed her.


	4. The art of deception

Operation: Bring home Naruto

IV. The art of deception

Hinata caught her breath as she felt Naruto's lips touch hers, press lightly, and ever so slightly rub against them. She'd never thought about kissing before. If she had she would never have guessed that a man's lips could be so soft, or warm, or nice—really nice. She held on to him, barely breathing. This was very much like the feeling she'd had after her massage—limp and unnerved—only better.

He ended the kiss to draw a deep breath. How did one breathe and kiss at the same time? Why hadn't Jiraiya taught him something about this stuff while he was at it? He was the purported expert with his risqué novels and all. Feeling a little light-headed, he watched the girl still draped over him press her head against his shoulder as if she were dizzy, too. He grinned at the idea that his kiss had made her dizzy.

Damn, he felt good. Kissing was great! He wanted to do it again. Hey, why not? She didn't seem to be going anywhere. He leaned his face back towards her to cop another kiss.

Hinata had opened her eyes as soon as the kiss ended, but she hadn't the will to yet move away. When she saw Naruto's big grin move in closer to her, she suddenly came to her senses. Was he going to kiss her again? Oh yes—wait no! They didn't have time for that! She wouldn't be able to think if he did that again and she had important things to tell him. She put her hand up in front of his face to stop him. "What are you doing?" she asked breathlessly.

"This is the way I greet my girlfriend," he mumbled against her hand. She could feel his smile against her hand broaden even wider.

"You have a _girlfriend_?" she gasped in shock as his words sunk in. That was something she'd never expected. He already had a girlfriend! Suddenly embarrassed at the way she was clinging to him she unwound her arms, and pushed away from him. Her feet dangled from the ground and she realized he was holding her up against him.

He grinned, "Yeah—_you_."

"Put me down!" she whispered through clenched teeth. This was getting more embarrassing every moment.

"Okay, _girlfriend_," he told her agreeably and set her down abruptly, but he didn't let her go completely. He kept his arm around her with his hand firmly on her hip.

She blushed. "What are you talking about? Naruto—"

"Hey, you know my name," he told her in surprise. He still had no clue who she was.

She frowned, "Of course, I know your name! Naruto, we need to talk."

"I'm not much good at talking. Let's try that kissing stuff again, _girlfriend_" he pulled her more firmly against him.

"Naruto," she cautioned firmly. She removed his hand from her hip, but held on to it. She needed a little space so she could think, but she didn't want him to get away altogether. "Let's go someplace less in the way," she suggested as new train passengers and porters walked around them. She tugged on his hand and took a step in the direction she wanted to go. The knowing looks and smiles she glimpsed on the faces passing them by caused her to blush even more rosily. She needed to get him someplace less conspicuous for their serious talk.

He resisted her efforts to move him. "Sure, if you tell me the name of my new _girlfriend_."

She stopped tugging and stared up at him. "Naruto! How can you not know who I am by now?"

He frowned and stared at her. She did look familiar, but he still couldn't place her. "I don't know. Who are you?"

She tilted her glasses down and peered at him over the top of her shaded lenses. That was the one thing about herself she couldn't change. He should have no trouble recognizing her from her eyes.

He stared into her unique silver eyes his mind a blank for all of ten second which actually seemed a long time to Hinata. Surely, she couldn't be that different from the way she usually looked?

"Hinata?" He asked hesitantly. His brain couldn't reconcile the plain, shy girl he knew who had those unusual eyes, and the pretty one who'd thrown herself at him and was now standing very, very closely beside him holding his hand.

"Of course, it's Hinata! Who did you think I was?" she asked annoyed with Naruto for the first time in her life. Why was he so surprised? Did she look so awful before? Why did he kiss her if he didn't know who she was? Why did he kiss her period?

"The girl of my dreams?" That should have been Sakura, but he really couldn't imagine kissing her or having his arm around her without her angrily slapping his face. Now that he had experienced a real kiss with a real girl—his dream girl began to look remarkably like the one standing before.

It was hard to believe—what he thought he'd known and the evidence standing attractively in red before him. He had never noticed Hinata as a woman before today—only as a fellow shinobi. He'd always thought of Sakura as the ideal _female_ shinobi—strong, smart and sexy. He hadn't really noticed any other woman (except the Hokage and she was _too_ old to count). But this new Hinata—wow! He could easily see her in that same description—adding a few others that he'd never even thought of for Sakura—such as sweet and soft—she'd felt very soft from her lips to the hip his hand still rested on. He liked that feminine softness very much.

"That would be Sakura not me," her tone was almost bitter.

"Sakura who?" he asked with an innocent expression on his face.

She returned his pseudo-innocence with a severe frown. "Tell me, Naruto—if you didn't know who I was—do you always go around kissing strange women?"

"I didn't actually have a policy on it before—but with such great results—it sounds like a good one."

"Don't tease me. This is serious."

"Kissing is serious business. It's time I was more serious," he tried to slip his arm around her again, but she kept his hand out in front of her where she could see it.

"Naruto! I'm not talking about kissing," she whispered towards his ear, but didn't get her face too close to his under the circumstances. She needed to make him understand the importance of the situation. "I'm _undercover_. I'm on a _mission_."

"You are? What kind of mission? You asked me to pretend you're my girlfriend—am I part of the mission?" It sounded like a funny kind of mission to him, but so far he liked his part in it.

"_You_ are the mission. Come on. Let's go somewhere else. This place feels like a fishbowl." And something else. She had the creepy feeling that they were being watched. She looked around as casually as possible, but didn't notice anyone in particular staring at them. The glances she did meet were on the faces of people smiling indulgently at the affectionate young couple.

"_I'm_ the mission? What's that supposed to mean?" He still wouldn't budge. He didn't like the sound of this so much now. He wanted his questions answered.

His voice had started to rise at the end of his last question. He'd blow her cover if she couldn't calm him down. She turned to him, took his hand and held it with both of hers and squeezed it gently. "Please, Naruto. I'll answer all your questions when we can sit down somewhere away from other people. I don't want us to be overheard. Please?"

He stared down at her forgetting his questions. He couldn't see her eyes, but he knew they were looking directly into his. Her mouth pouted a little making him think about their kiss and wanting to try it again. Practice made perfect and that was a skill he'd like to perfect. But he didn't think he could get her to consider it right now so he focused on something else—just as distracting.

Damn, he liked having his hand held by a pretty girl—and the more he looked at her the more he noticed her feminine attractions—from the v-neck of her dress to her sexy red toes, he liked what he saw and it made him realize that Hinata had never been plain. Sakura's flamboyance had just blinded him to anyone else—and the fact that she totally rejected him for any relationship other than as teammate. That had only made him more determined. He never liked to admit defeat. But now he was wonderfully made aware that there were other fish in the sea just as attractive, and he could withdraw from the competition for Sakura's attention instead of fighting to the death or whatever.

He gave an exaggerated sigh, "Lead on, sweetie. I'll follow."

He'd called her sweetie. Oh my!

She kept hold of his hand as they walked. She told herself it was part of her undercover disguise, but actually she liked holding his hand. His hand was smoother than she thought it would be. She had to rub lotions into her own hands constantly to keep them smooth and soft. She hated when her hands felt rough with calluses and broken skin. Rough skin came with the job, but she didn't have to like it or accept it. She wondered if Naruto noticed her soft hands. The way he was looking at her, he seemed to be noticing many things, but her hands didn't appear to be on the list.

Once this mission was completed and she went back to being plain, dark, shy, weird Hinata, would Naruto ever notice her again? She pushed that thought away until much later—like after the mission—she was having too interesting a time right now to indulge in depressing thoughts.

* * *

She'd had two days to scope out the city following the Hokage's instructions. It was still only early afternoon. They wouldn't begin their journey home until after dark, so she needed one or two safe locations to take Naruto until they could leave. The Hokage had suggested that these locations be in public places so they could be observed in her undercover guise as Naruto's girlfriend—all part of keeping the enemy off guard.

There was a public square with a fountain and stone benches that she'd scoped out and thought might work for their initial rendezvous. It was continuously busy with shoppers and workers passing through all day long. The benches were spread out and in the open. There was no chance of someone overhearing their conversation without being observed. Once he understood the situation, she hoped Naruto would cooperate in making a display of having all the time in the world to walk, shop, dine and play. That was how the Hokage had planned the rest of the day. But of course the best laid plans often went astray, and Naruto was the wild card in all their planning. She just hoped he wouldn't prove to be too wild.

Naruto enjoyed walking through the streets with a pretty girl. He especially enjoyed it when other guys gave his _girlfriend_ a long, appreciative look. He'd never been the envy of anyone else before. He could get accustomed pretty quick to having a girlfriend. However, the more he thought about it, the more he felt he should be taking the lead—it was the manlier thing to do. Following along those lines, he turned his hand so her hand was now caught within his. He slowed his steps to slow her down until he had brought her back to his side. He glanced down to find her looking up at him with her head tilted in a questioning way.

He grinned. He couldn't help it. He felt really good right now. He'd never had a girlfriend before. He intended to milk this situation for all it would give. He squeezed her hand and winked to answer her questioning gesture. The details of this mission may not prove to be very interesting, but so far it had great side benefits.

They reached the square in ten minutes. With Naruto at her side, Hinata led the way to an empty bench on the shady side of the square. She sat down near the middle and Naruto promptly sat down right beside her and put his arm across the back of the bench surrounding her. He was getting into this charade a little too enthusiastically for her mental comfort, but her heart told her otherwise and picked up its beat encouragingly.

"Relax, Hinata. As my girlfriend, shouldn't you lean against me? Put your head against my shoulder. That's better."

It was very nice having her head on Naruto's shoulder, but it didn't feel natural. What could she do to feel more comfortable? "I don't know what to do with my hands." They were folded in her lap, but that seemed so passive. This was her role. She should be doing something more active.

"Here. You can have my free hand to play with."

She took his hand in hers. Play? What did one _do_ with a man's hand besides hold it? She turned his hand within hers. She studied Naruto's hand. It was big, square and capable. She traced the lines in his palm wondering what a palmist would say about Naruto. She was sure he had a noble destiny.

He chuckled. "That tickles, but I like it. So, Hinata, what's this all about?" he asked in a low voice.

"The Hokage is worried about you," she began.

"Worried I didn't have a girlfriend? That was nice of the old bat."

"Naruto, you should be more respectful," she chided softly. "Of course, she wasn't worried about that! She's worried about the new enemies you've made from your last mission. She's afraid you might not make it home alive. I'm playing this part to confuse your enemies."

"I'm all for a little confusion. Move over closer and confuse me some more," he suggested with a teasing voice. He couldn't help enjoying the situation.

"Naruto! You're not taking this seriously enough. Your life could be in danger!"

"Okay. Okay. But I think your charade is all for nothing. I've been traveling a week and haven't seen anything suspicious. No one's been watching me any more than usual. Orange is just a color that draws attention. That's why I wear it. I like to be noticed."

"You felt nothing suspicious—even at the train station?"

He shook his head. "Nope, nothing."

"Well, I did. I felt we were being watched—and not too kindly. I felt a lot of menace in it. It gave me the creeps."

"Huh?" He shook his head. "Nah, I didn't feel a thing. You've just got too good an imagination, Hinata."

"I've always been told I haven't an imagination at all," she disagreed.

"Well, that person was wrong. You couldn't do such a great undercover job without an imagination. You've got me fooled," he teased her, and moved his arm more securely around her shoulders. "So if I _am_ being threatened—how's having a girlfriend going to help me?"

"The Hokage wanted anyone following you to think I'm just a girlfriend and not a shinobi. She thought they'd relax their guard—not throw anything at you that the two of us couldn't handle."

"_She_ didn't think I could handle myself!?" He was insulted. He could handle anything. Hadn't he proven that all his life?

"That's not it, Naruto. She just wants you home without creating an incident or worse. She didn't want to send an obvious escort waving an immediate challenge at your enemies. She doesn't want to draw attention to the village right now. If we can get out of here, and back home without being attacked—isn't that the best outcome?"

He frowned and agreed reluctantly. "Maybe—but I'm not afraid of anyone!"

"The Hokage doesn't doubt your courage or your skills. She would have sent someone much stronger than I am if that were the case."

A few strokes to his ego left him fairly appeased. "So we're just supposed to look lovey-dovey for awhile?"

"That's part of it," she agreed. "We're also to look as if we're on a little vacation before going home. If your enemies think they have a few days to get to you, they may leave us alone today and wait for a better opportunity."

"How do we convince them of that?"

"Besides wasting a lot of time doing nothing like right now—I've got you booked in several hotels each for five days. Once they found one of the reservations, they'll believe they have that much more time in the city to do something."

"How can I possibly use several hotel rooms?"

"Don't be silly! It was just to make it easy to find you and add to the confusion. You won't be actually using any of them. We'll appear to be going to one, but sneak out the back. Then we'll go to my room at another hotel."

"Oh? Your place not mine?" he teased.

She pinched his hand. He was in such a playful mood. What was up with that? "We're leaving tonight. I just need to change beforehand."

"No more red dress? No more red sandals?" he asked in disappointment.

She shook her head. "Sorry, they won't do as ninja garb."

He turned his hand to finger the silk of her dress. "Too bad. I really like this dress."

"So do I. It's the prettiest dress I've ever owned."

"And the red shoes with the red toes—I really like those."

"The toes are permanently attached, and the red will stay on for awhile." She wiggled her toes as she looked down at them. She liked the red, too. It made her feel different—more confident. Her usual black had always made her feel invisible, which was what she'd wanted in the past. The red she now wore made her stand out—noticed—in a good way. It was a feeling she was unaccustomed to, but she liked it.

Both she and Naruto looked at her feet until she felt his hand playing with her hair. She shook her head. "What are you doing?"

"If you get to play girlfriend then I get to play boyfriend. I'm doing what boyfriend's do—I'm touching you."

"Is that what boyfriend's do?" she asked breathlessly.

"If they don't—they're idiots."

"Why do you say that?"

"Your hair feels like silk. And it smells good, too." He turned his head and leaned closer to sniff her hair.

"That's just the shampoo I use."

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm pretty sure Jiraiya uses this same shampoo—and he doesn't smell this good."

She was beginning to feel nervous again. How far should this boyfriend/girlfriend thing go? Naruto was really getting into it. She worried about what he would do next. He was much better at playacting than she was. "Ah—Naruto, shouldn't we do something?"

"We are. We're sitting here in the shade, watching the fountain, and people go by, while we enjoy each other's company. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

"_Y-e-s_, but I feel like we should be doing something more—I don't know—active, maybe?"

"We could kiss again?" he suggested with a deceptively casual tone. Oh yeah, he wanted to try that again.

"I was thinking more along the lines of walking and window shopping."

"Later. Let's give our audience another you're-my-girlfriend performance."

Naruto—do you think we should? This is a public place," she cautioned nervously.

"It's okay. It's just for show, right? We'll just give any followers a tease of what we want them to think are coming attractions."

He was right. They did need to be convincing to anyone watching. But she was afraid of being too convincing. She enjoyed Naruto's attentions far too much. She had to keep reminding herself that this was just an act and not the real thing. "Well, all right," she agreed with a reluctance that was only for his benefit. She turned towards him, closed her eyes, raised her face and pursed her lips.

He smiled at her. She looked like she was facing the firing squad. Surprise had worked so much better the first time. He wasn't sure how to make her relax, but he could think of a few things that might make her react and stop thinking. He brought his face down to hers until he was as close as possible without touching. He brushed her mouth lightly with his then quickly flicked his tongue over her lips. When her eyes flew wide, and she opened her mouth to say something, he swooped in for a real kiss.

If Hinata had thought the first kiss rivaled a massage session, she didn't know how to describe this second one. His tongue tentatively touched hers and she felt entire new sensations to place beside that first touch of a man's lips. This kiss was even more exciting, she thought as she tasted the sweet, moist heat of Naruto Uzumaki—something she'd never have imagined in her life. It was the most incredible thing she'd ever experienced.


	5. Who's fooling whom?

Operation: Bring home Naruto

V. Who's fooling whom?

Was it one kiss, two kisses or three? Hinata couldn't remember, couldn't think, couldn't count. When Naruto stopped to breathe so did she—and it cleared her head. She pulled away from him and shook her head to hold him off. That was enough acting for now. She was losing all sense of reality. She was beginning to believe that Naruto was kissing her because he wanted to and not because he had to. That is—he didn't have to—but it made the girlfriend act appear true. That was the only reason he was doing it—wasn't it? It was just camouflage.

"What?" Naruto asked sounding as insensible as she'd felt just before she'd stopped him from kissing her again.

"Naruto!" She clutched his shoulder and shook it. "Remember what we're doing here?"

"Kissing. That's what we're doing. Let's keep doing it," he said almost irritated that she'd stopped him. He had forgotten everything, but the enjoyment of the moment. He'd been lost in the sensations of kissing a pretty girl. He'd forgotten that he was kissing his _pretend_ girlfriend. He'd especially forgotten that Hinata was his _pretend_ girlfriend. His only thought had been how nice this girl in his arms was to kiss.

"Naruto! We can't! That's not really what we're supposed to be doing. The mission? Remember?"

"Oh yeah. The mission." He stopped and loosened his grip, then grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I guess I sorta got carried away. I forgot we were acting."

"You did? Really? You forgot?" she asked faintly. Oh my, was he really kissing her—Hinata Hyuga—and not Hinata _fake_ girlfriend? If only that were true, but she knew it couldn't be. He was just a good actor.

"Well, yeah, when I'm kissing—a girl—you know—I really kiss her. I've never pretended to be kissing before," he lamely explained hiding his complete lack of experience which was the true reason for his getting carried away. He'd completely forgotten the supposed reason for kissing her as soon as he'd started. His reason had always been simply to kiss her not as an act for some mythical watcher. "Hey, do you suppose we've convinced anyone watching that you're my girlfriend?"

"I—I think so." He'd certainly convinced her. Her heart was still pumping madly and she still felt warm from his steamy kissing.

"Too bad." He stretched out his arms and legs then slapped his hands on his knees and stood up. Looking down at her, he held out his hand. "Let's go for a walk, _sweetie_." He needed to cool off. This acting stuff was hard work—or something else was making him feel hot.

She put her hand in his, and allowed him to pull her up off the bench. As they walked away from the square she had a surreptitious look around. She still had the feeling of being watched. It could just be from the exhibition they'd been making of themselves with their public kissing, but she was convinced she felt something menacing in the watch. However, she couldn't pinpoint the menace she felt in any of the faces they walked past. Everyone looked normal and ordinary. Some people smiled at them and some frowned. Both reactions to their public display caused her cheeks to flame even hotter.

After meeting only a few glances, she stopped looking altogether. It was too embarrassing. She'd never done anything so outrageous and ostentatious before in her life. It wasn't like her at all. She never drew attention to herself. Yet here she was wearing a sexy red dress, kissing in public and holding hands with Naruto Uzumaki of all people. She just hoped she was a convincing girlfriend. This was one mission she couldn't fail.

"Where do you want to go?" Naruto asked after they started down the street. He wasn't a passive hand-holder. He swung their clasped hands to the beat of their walk. He seemed to have some untapped energy that needed an outlet.

"I don't know. I didn't have anywhere in particular in mind to go until dinner. I was leaving the choice up to you. We could just walk around and window shop—" She glanced up at him.

He scrunched his face into a very negative expression.

"Or," she continued hastily, "we could find someplace like the Dragonfly Club and play pool?"

"You play pool?" he asked in surprise. He even halted his hand swinging as if it were connected to his thought processes.

"A little. Kiba taught me recently," she told him rather defiantly. She'd finally learned something non-ninja related, but she wasn't sure if it were an acceptable skill. She couldn't even remember if there had been other girls playing when she had. What would Naruto think about her new skill?

"Kiba Inuzuka?" Now why did that bother him? Until an hour ago, he wouldn't have cared less that Kiba had taught Hinata how to play pool. Now the thought of them together at the Dragonfly Club annoyed him—a lot.

"He's my teammate, you know. We're friends," she explained.

Naruto started walking and swinging hands again. That's right, they were teammates. Of course, that would have been the reason he taught her. Why hadn't he and Sakura ever played pool together? They were teammates. He forced a smile. "How did he manage to smuggle Akamaru inside? That dog's huge."

She smiled in return. "He didn't even try. He didn't like it, but he admitted that there were some places Akamaru couldn't go with him."

"I bet there are a lot of places he can't go. You know, Kiba and that dog almost had me in a fight once. Remember six years ago, the second chûnin exam? If he'd been the size he is now, Kiba might have been the winner that day not me."

"I remember those chûnin exams very well. Do you remember my contest? You gave me confidence that day, Naruto. I don't think I would be here now if not for you."

"You were almost killed that day," he said starkly. He could still remember the shock of that contest. He'd never known anything about the Hyuga clan's Byakugan ability until Lee had explained it during the contest between Hinata and Neji. He'd been shocked by Neji's treatment of his own cousin in their match. He couldn't just beat her normally. No, he'd mercilessly beaten on her self-confidence before using his greater strength and superior mastery of the Byakugan against her. It had been an unconscionable act, and Naruto had never forgotten or forgiven it.

"But I didn't. If Neji had been able to completely undermine my self-confidence that day, I would never have been able to keep going and finally pass the chûnin exams. I owe it all to you. I heard you shouting encouragement to me from the stands, and it helped me go on despite the trouncing I received from Neji."

"I remember that you were incredibly brave, Hinata." She'd looked so small and vulnerable facing her cousin. He'd been older, bigger and overbearing. Naruto didn't like to think how much Neji had hurt her in that fight, but he couldn't help remembering the spatter of her blood on the ground afterwards. "Hey, you helped me too. Remember how I ran into you before the third exam? You told me that even when I failed I never gave up, and that made me a proud failure. I never forgot that. Let me tell you—that thought's kept me going in some tight spots."

"So we were able to encourage each other. I like that," she smiled pleasurably at the thought.

"Me, too," he squeezed her hand. "I wish you had seen me beat Neji, though. I did that for you as well as for me, you know."

"Kurenai told me later about the fight and the things you said. I treasured the knowledge that part of the win was mine. I never did thank you for that."

"You don't have to thank me. I really hated his cocky attitude and all that destiny crap he talked. I was glad to do it."

"You know, Neji's been different since then. My father removed his curse mark, and adopted him into the main branch. He's more accepted in my family than I am," she responded unthinkingly. Only Kurenai knew the truth about her family situation.

"What do you mean?"

She ducked her head. "Oh nothing. It's really not important."

"Aren't you the heir of the Hyuga clan?"

She shook her head. "No, not any more."

"You're the oldest, aren't you?" he persisted. It was more than just curiosity. He really wanted to understand her situation.

"Yes," she said reluctantly. She didn't want Naruto feeling sorry for her.

"So, why aren't you the Hyuga heir?"

"My father didn't think I was a suitable heir. He disinherited me in favor of my sister." She shrugged, but actually it still hurt—not the loss of status but the fact of her father's lack of confidence in her. Even though she'd proven herself in many ways over the years, her sister was still the more obviously self-confident and proud. Hinata could never compete against the Hyuga arrogance. She didn't have an arrogant bone in her body.

"I'm sorry. That's so wrong. It makes me think that a lot of these old families have some screwy traditions. When I'm Hokage, I'll see what I can do to change all that," he promised confidently.

She looked up into his sincere blue eyes. "When you're Hokage, you don't have to make any changes for my benefit. I really don't care. I don't want to be the head of the Hyuga clan. I like where I am—just another shinobi."

He squeezed her hand. "You're not just another shinobi, Hinata. You've got a very special ability. The Byakugan must be envied by lots of shinobi. Just like Sasuke's Sharingan. I never thought about those special clan abilities until the chûnin exams. If the Uchiha clan hadn't had that special ability, I don't think Sasuke would've run away."

"You sound as if you miss him?"

"Yeah, I miss him even if he did try to kill me."

"Naruto! I didn't know that. How awful!"

He shrugged. "It happened the day he ran off. I was trying to stop him. I guess I was the enemy that day."

"But Naruto—don't you think if Sasuke Uchihi had wanted you dead—you'd be dead?"

"Yeah," he grinned at her. "Maybe that's why I don't hold a grudge. I remember when we were first teamed together. The girls fell all over themselves to get his attention, but he didn't care. He was arrogant, alone, and aloof. He didn't think much of me at first, but we eventually got along. We were teammates after all. I never thought he'd leave the village like he did, but when I recall what his ambitions were back then, I guess I'm not surprised."

"What were his ambitions?

"To kill his brother and rebuild his clan. I learned later that his brother had killed the entire Uchiha clan except for Sasuke."

"Oh, my. Do you suppose he ever did it—kill his brother, I mean?"

"I don't think so. I think he'd have come back to the village if he had finally done it. You know, if he'd asked for my help, I'd have given it, but he didn't. I think it's something he feels he has to do himself."

They walked along quietly for a few minutes. Both were lost in their own thoughts of the past until Naruto finally broke the silence.

"Hey, we never did decide what to do for the next few hours."

"Did you veto my pool idea?"

"Yeah, I don't much feel like playing a game. I kinda like just walking and talking."

"We could go to the zoo. There's a small one somewhere in town."

"Yeah, a zoo sounds like a good idea. Let's go, _sweetie_," he said with a wink, letting her know he remembered what they were really supposed to be doing. It had seemed so natural to talk about the past with Hinata, he'd again almost forgotten the girlfriend charade.

They stopped at one of the shops lining the street so Hinata could ask for directions. She couldn't remember exactly where the zoo was located. She hadn't brought a map with her. It had been too big to fit into the small pockets of her jacket along with her identification and change purse.

Naturally, the zoo turned out to be in the opposite direction of where they'd been walking, so they had to turn around and walk back from where they'd come. Again they walked companionably in silence for a few minutes before Naruto broke the silence.

"So are you and Kiba dating?" he asked casually. He hadn't forgotten the subject. He'd just been trying to find a way to segue back to it. He wasn't exactly a subtle guy—so he took the approach he was more comfortable with—ready, aim and fire.

"Oh, no! At least—no—not really."

"That doesn't sound like a definite no to me."

"Well, we did go on a date, but it was an accident. I was doing research for this mission."

"How could you go out on a date by accident?"

"Well, I—you see—I asked Kiba to take me to a place where couples hang out. I told him I was doing research, but I wasn't specific about what sort of research I was doing. At the end of the evening, he told me we'd just had our first date. So you see, we had been on a date, but not a planned one."

"What did you say when he said it was your first date?"

"Nothing."

"_Nothing!_"

"I was too surprised to contradict him," she defended herself.

"It sounds like a date to me," he argued unreasonably. He didn't know what was bugging him about the situation, but he was definitely annoyed. He just didn't know who annoyed him more in that situation—Kiba for calling it a date or Hinata for not setting him straight.

"I didn't think of it as a date until he told me it was one. I was thinking of it as research," she continued defensively. It did sound sort of lame when she tried to explain it. If Naruto didn't understand, how was she ever going to get Kiba to?

"What exactly were you researching?"

"You're not going to like this," she warned.

"I already don't like it. Tell me."

She gave him a puzzled glance, but continued to explain. "It was the Hokage's suggestion. I only wanted to observe dating couples in action—so to speak."

"That doesn't sound objectionable. Where's the part I won't like?"

"I was there to watch Sakura," she confessed.

"Sakura? She was there? Who was she with?" he asked with only mild curiosity. It was funny how only hours ago from everything he'd left behind he'd been most looking forward to seeing Sakura again—and now she barely interested him.

"I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry."

"Hinata, it's okay. I don't care. Sakura dates lots of guys."

"Oh, Naruto, she doesn't date lots of guys anymore. Sakura's engaged!" she announced dramatically then tensed her shoulders waiting for his reaction.

"Yeah? Who to?"

"Rock Lee."

"No kidding," he grinned. "Lee's okay. I'm glad Sakura picked him. She couldn't do any better—unless she'd picked me."

"You don't sound very upset."

"It surprises me too, but I'm not. Hey, she was never interested in me. Even when we first began as teammates, Sasuke always came first. She only thinks about my welfare on a mission now because she doesn't much like Sai. Yeah, I'm glad she picked Lee. So did you get to watch Sakura and Lee on a date?"

"Unhuh. But they weren't very good research subjects. They didn't do anything, but hold hands, kiss and stare at each other. I didn't learn anything useful."

Naruto grinned and squeezed her hand. "Oh yeah? I think you learned quite a bit of useful stuff, _sweetie_."

She blushed. "What I learned is—engaged couples are very boring. I should have chosen a subject who wasn't already engaged."

"Who else could you have observed?"

"I don't know. Ino, maybe. I think she dates."

"Yeah, I've seen Ino with Shikamaru, but I don't know if they were dating or if it was like you and Kiba—teammates hanging out together."

"Would that be at the Dragonfly Club?

"Yeah. I play pool there with some of the guys sometimes. I've played with Kiba and Shino."

"They've never asked me to go there with them."

"Maybe they didn't think you'd like it. You are—or were, I should say, a little shy. The Dragonfly is usually crowded and the music is loud. Maybe they didn't think it was your kind of place."

"I did become a little self-conscious after a few games of pool when I realized that people were watching me. It didn't improve my play to be watched."

"So how did Kiba go about teaching you the game?"

"He explained the rules then he showed me how to hold and aim the pool stick and how to hit the white ball into the colorful balls."

"How exactly did he show you? Did you just watch him or did he get behind you, put his hands over yours and guide your shots?"

"Oh—ah—both ways actually."

"I see. How often did he have to guide your shots?"

"Maybe once or twice." This was beginning to sound like an interrogation.

"I see."

"Wasn't that the best way to show me how?" she asked anxiously. Naruto sounded so serious suddenly.

"Only if you're a guy on a date with a girl. A guy wouldn't show another guy how to play like that."

"Oh."

"No wonder he thought you were on a date," he said in disgust.

"I couldn't know that! I'd never played the game before. It really helped me figure out what to do when he guided my shots."

"Sure, it did."

"Why are you so angry? What does it matter?" she asked confused.

"I don't know, but it does. Are you going out with him again?"

"On a date? No, of course not. I don't think of Kiba that way. I like him as a friend."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yeah, you should keep it that way. I don't think you and Kiba would make a good couple."

"You don't? Why not?"

"You don't look like a dog."

"I don't—what?"

"I don't think Kiba could really like a girl unless she looked like a dog."

"Naruto, that's silly," she giggled.

"Hey, that's the only way a girl could compete with Akamaru for Kiba's affections," he told her mock seriously.

"Too bad Akamaru's not a girl," she couldn't stop laughing.

"Yeah, they'd make a real cute couple," Naruto grinned at her and forgot being annoyed. She said she was only friends with Kiba, and she wasn't planning on dating him. He believed her.

* * *

They found the zoo. It was small, but they managed to take a few hours looking it over in a very leisurely fashion. Naruto played the game of matching animals to the village shinobi which kept Hinata continually giggling at his suggestions. His reasoning was usually outrageous and completely ridiculous, but it was fun. Hinata had never laughed so much. She hadn't realized Naruto was so much fun to be with.

Finally, they ended their day on display at a fancy restaurant. Naruto had wanted someplace with ramen noodles. He could never find a good ramen noodle eatery when he was overseas, and he missed his favorite meal. However, Hinata had already made reservations at a fancier place on the Hokage's orders. She'd wanted the two of them to make an impression not just eat a meal. So Naruto had to hold off on his ramen until he got back to the village. Not that he really minded. He liked the dating atmosphere of the fancy place Hinata took him to. There were lots of couples having dinner. He felt as if they were on a real date.

"How did it happen that the Hokage selected you for this mission?" he asked curiously once their meal had been served, and they had less of a chance of being overheard even by the waitress.

"Do you wish it had been someone else?"

"No way. I can't imagine anyone else doing such a good job."

"Not even Sakura?"

"Especially not Sakura. She would definitely not have convinced anyone that she was my girlfriend."

"Why's that?"

"She'd never have thrown herself at me, and begged me to pretend that she was my girlfriend."

"I did not beg!"

"You do admit to the throwing yourself at me, though?"

"Maybe," she conceded with a smile. "What would Sakura have done?"

"She would have ordered me to pretend, and told me not to touch her."

"That wouldn't have been very convincing."

"She'd probably think it was normal for my girlfriend to order me around. Man, I feel sorry for Lee."

"He didn't seem too unhappy when I saw them together."

"They're in the lovey-dovey stage now. Wait until he makes her mad. She's real scary when she's mad."

"I can't imagine Sakura that mad. What does she do?"

"She hits really hard."

"She hits you?"

"Not for awhile, but when we first started out as teammates—man, she seemed to hit me all the time. I could do no right."

"I guess I've never seen that side of her, but I don't really know her very well. I don't know many of the kunoichi."

"Because you used to be shy?" He grinned at her.

She blushed. If only that 'used to be' were true.

"Hey, you never did answer my question? How did you win this super wonderful mission?'

She glared at him. "Don't make fun of it. It's a very important mission. I'm here to see that you arrive safely back home, Naruto Uzumaki. Believe it!"

He gaped at her, amazed at the imperious tone of her voice. Oh yeah, he could tell she was a Hyuga. And looking at her determined face, he thought she could do anything she set her mind to—even fight those untold enemies she thought were stalking him.

"Yes, ma'am," he told her when he finally found his voice, and he wasn't being in the least sarcastic. He really did believe it.


	6. Showtime

Operation: Bring home Naruto

VI. Showtime

"Naruto! What are you doing?" Hinata asked as she came out of the bathroom.

After dinner, they'd walked in a leisurely fashion to the Jasmin Inn where Hinata had made sham reservations for herself and Naruto. She'd gone there earlier in the day to register, close the drapes, turn on a light and put out Do-Not-Disturb signs on the doorknobs of both rooms. Then she'd left the keys at the desk so they could make a display of collecting them later. It was all part of the camouflage she and the Hokage had planned for this mission. She'd explained everything to Naruto at dinner so there would be no surprises for him—or deviations to her carefully laid plans.

Once in the elevator, she had punched the buttons for all the floors, but she and Naruto had exited on the second floor. They'd taken the emergency stairs at the opposite end of the hall down to the back of the building. All the buildings on the block shared a back alley so it wasn't necessary for them to return to a main well-lighted street to reach the hotel that Hinata was really registered in under an assumed name. It was a less expensive place two blocks farther away from the direction they would ordinarily take to leave the city for the village—further pieces of the grand plan.

Once they had reached her room, she'd gone into the bathroom to change and finish packing her back pack. She had purchased basic necessities for their three day trek to the village. They'd both had survival training, so they were equipped to live off the land as much as possible. They wouldn't be burdened by carrying too much with them. However, she did manage to carefully fold and stow her red dress and shoes at the bottom of the pack. They really didn't take up too much room, and she couldn't bear to part with them. They had brought her luck—they had brought her to Naruto's attention on a level she'd never thought to achieve on her own.

The room Naruto found himself alone in was small and contained a bare minimum of furniture. With no other recourse, Naruto sat down on the bed, then being Naruto he stretched out and put up his feet to relax. They still had a good hour until it was dark enough to leave. He wasn't exactly tired, but he knew they had a long journey ahead of them. He thought he'd better get his rest when and where he could. Anyway, he had a nice view of the bathroom door as he thought about her and waited for Hinata to return.

When Hinata came out of the bathroom, she saw Naruto looking much too comfortable and sure of himself lying there on her bed. The way he stared at her made her feel warm all over. She knew she was undoubtedly blushing and it would be obvious. That's what comes of having pale skin—her embarrassment was always evident. More sharply than she intended, she'd asked him what he was doing.

"Resting," his hands were stacked behind his head and his legs were crossed at the ankles. Yeah, he was comfortable more than just physically—he was comfortable being with Hinata. And she seemed to be more comfortable with him. He hadn't seen her telltale pushing index fingers together all day. He never would have gotten to know that incredibly shy Hinata. He liked the new version much better.

"Come and sit down," he patted the bed beside him. "You need to rest your feet. Those red shoes are pretty, but I bet they're uncomfortable." He couldn't help staring at her. She wore a black bodysuit, sleeveless, with a turtleneck collar. She usually covered herself further with an olive green jacket. It generally managed to camouflage her shape. But Naruto knew what to look for now. He could see her slender, small but feminine figure outlined perfectly within her skintight suit. She couldn't compare in voluptuousness to the Hokage or his own sexy jutsu, but he found that he liked her petite, delicate beauty better. She appealed to his protective instincts. He'd never be able to look at her again no matter what she wore and see just another fellow shinobi. He was very much aware of the woman Hinata had become as she perched tentatively beside but facing him on the bed—and as far away from him as she could be without falling off.

She eyed him doubtfully. The way he continued to stare at her with that big grin on his face made her feel a little shy and nervous. He didn't seem to be the same brash, cheerful, oblivious Naruto she was used to. The cheerful was still in evidence, but there was a softer knowing gleam in his eyes that she'd never noticed before. Surely, he didn't think they were going to play girlfriend anymore? She couldn't—not when it didn't mean anything. "Naruto, you know we don't need to pretend anymore, don't you? That part of the mission is over," she asked hesitantly.

"Hey, I don't know what you're talking about," he told her with an injured air, but he had thought about it. He couldn't help thinking about it when she was looking so sweet and pretty—and so close to him. "I just don't want you to get tired, that's all. Your feet do hurt don't they?"

"Maybe, a little." There was no other place to sit except on the floor—and he was right—her feet did hurt. She stretched out beside him, but with her head at his feet and her feet at his head. It wasn't that she didn't trust him—rather, she didn't trust herself. It would be so easy to forget the real purpose of her mission—which wasn't kissing Naruto no matter how cute and flirtatious he was.

He turned his head to look at her toes. "I do like your red toenails."

"So you said before. The Hokage wears red nail polish." She resisted the urge to wiggle her toes.

"She does? I never noticed," he said indifferently.

She studied his face. He really didn't seem to be interested in the Hokage. How could that be? "She's beautiful—isn't she—the Hokage?" she asked as she watched his expression.

He wrinkled up his face. "She's _old_."

"But she doesn't look old. She doesn't look much older than most of our instructors."

"She's not my type," he said dismissively. Why was Hinata going on about the Hokage? She was okay, but he had never really thought about her in any particular way.

"Naruto! That's disrespectful," she admonished.

He shrugged as best he could in his relaxed state. "Hey, I'm just telling the truth. She's the Hokage—that's all I care about."

"Don't you like her?"

"She's okay even if she does have my job_. I_ wanted to be the fifth Hokage."

"Maybe you'll be the sixth one."

"No maybe about it. That's what I'm aiming for. Believe it!"

They lay there relaxing. Naruto studied Hinata looking at her unusual silver eyes. Now that her shaded glasses were off, he could see her without any obstructions. He'd never realized how deep and unfathomable her eyes seemed to be. If not for her expressive face, he wouldn't know what she was thinking. If she wanted to she could be a woman of real mystery. He was glad she wasn't. Women were enough of a mystery without being with one who could thoroughly hide her thoughts and feelings. He enjoyed seeing the blush spread across her cheeks as she met his eyes. Now that he thought about it, he'd always been able to make Hinata blush. Whenever she'd talked to him in the past, she'd blushed. But now she actually looked him in the eye before blushing. She was no longer blushing from plain shyness, but from the look in his eyes. That was a new twist—and he liked it.

"Naruto, do you suppose that was why you were chosen for that special overseas mission?"

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe, the Hokage sees Hokage potential in you. Maybe she's helping to mold you," she explained.

"Mold me? Like clay? I don't need to be molded. I'm fine just the way I am," he told her indignantly.

She bit her lip thoughtfully. "Okay, mold might not be the right word. How about prepare? Or develop? Or strengthen?"

"What are you a dictionary?" he laughed. "You think she's really interested in making me the next Hokage?"

"Why not? I think you might be the strongest shinobi in the village," she told him sincerely. "You'd make a wonderful Hokage."

He flushed at the compliment. "Thanks, Hinata, but I don't know if that old bat even likes me. You're all wrong about my mission. The reason I got the job was because I looked like the kid I was hired to protect. That's all. It could have been anyone else on the mission if they'd had the same hair and eye color. I just lucked out."

"Oh—well—that doesn't mean anything. The Hokage likes you, I know it!" she told him fiercely. "She likes you enough to have been worried about your safe return to the village."

He enjoyed Hinata's defense of him, but he didn't believe her reasoning. "She'd do that for anybody," he said dismissively.

"Maybe, but I don't think she'd do it in the same way."

"If you say so. What makes you think your mission to rescue me is so special?" When he saw her downcast face, he suddenly realized he'd worded that question all wrong. "Hey, I don't mean you don't deserve a special mission—I just mean, I don't see how I could be the object of a special mission," he said apologetically.

"It cost the village a lot of money to set up this whole charade. The hotel rooms, the dinner, my clothes—everything involved," she quickly summarized. She didn't want to mention the details of the manicure and massage, etc. She thought he'd laugh. "That means she thinks you're valuable."

"Well, my mission made a lot of money—I mean, a lot of money. She could afford to spend a little on getting me home," he reasoned.

Hinata was convinced there was more to it than that, but she could think of no argument beyond her intuition to present to Naruto, so she dropped the subject for now. "What was your mission about anyway? How did someone from so far away hear about our village shinobi?"

He turned on his side, leaned on his elbow, and rested his head in his palm. He was still comfortable, and he could see Hinata better from that angle. "I don't know, but the guy was really rich. He'd paid for a lot of protection from all types of fighters. In his country swordsmen and different types of martial artists were the available types of hired muscle. He had a bunch of those guys, but he'd wanted something different—something unexpected, he said. That's why he'd sent an emissary to the Hokage to engage a ninja for his job. She decided I fit the bill for what they wanted. Jiraiya decided to come along for the literary research—and maybe watch my back."

"What did you do for a whole year?"

"Well, this rich guy was running for president of his country, but some other guy—another rich guy wanted to stop him. He threatened the life of my guy's son. Since the son was only a couple years younger than me and looked vaguely like me—which might add to some confusion for the enemy—they worked out a plan that I'd be a foreign exchange student and the son would have to stick with me and show me around. That way I could be a bodyguard without anyone realizing. Hey, when you think about it—it's kinda like what we were doing today—camouflaging me to fool the enemy."

Her eyes widened at the thought. "That's right. It does sound very similar. Maybe that's why the Hokage thought of it for my mission."

"Could be. Anyway, I had to learn the language, go to school and do other things I never thought I'd ever do."

"What sort of things?" she asked to prompt him to continue his story. She was fascinated by all things Naruto, but especially by what he'd been doing for the whole year she'd missed seeing him.

"This kid had a really full schedule. He went to concerts, theaters, museums and parties—wait a minute—he called them society gigs."

She was impressed. "Wow. Did you enjoy that, Naruto?"

"No way! The only interesting thing he liked to do was go to baseball games. He had season tickets. We went to at least a game very week. That was fun! But the rest of it—well that stuff could be really boring when you weren't up on the language—let me tell you. It took me awhile to learn. It was harder than learning the clone jutsu. I thought when I became a chûnin, I was through with school and book learning. Jiraiya picked it up a lot easier than I did."

"Did you flunk out, Naruto?" she asked with an amused smile.

He grinned back at her. "Almost, but the kid turned out to be pretty helpful. His name was Beauregard Vanlansing the III, by the way, but I always called him 'Kid'. Since he didn't understand my language, he didn't know what I was calling him. I told him it was an honorific."

"That was very clever."

"Well, it beat trying to remember and pronounce his awful name."

"It is outlandish," she agreed. "And quite a mouthful. What did his father call him?"

"Beauregard."

"That's very formal."

"They're a rich, snooty, formal family. When I first met the kid, he was real stuck-up and unfriendly, but things changed when he was attacked only a few weeks after I started working for him. He really appreciated me—his personal protection—after that."

"You are impressive when you fight," she agreed.

"Well, I didn't exactly have to fight," he confessed. "The other bodyguards stepped in too fast, but I did throw myself in front of him blocking the attack and pulled out a kunai blade which really seemed to impress him."

"I bet. So you were friends after that?"

"Not exactly, but we got along." He remembered that the kid found him really amusing most of the time. Naruto couldn't help making a lot of mistakes since he didn't know the customs and protocol of the country—and apparently his mistakes with the language were wildly funny. He'd often had a hard time controlling his anger. Nobody liked being laughed at. But he had to keep reminding himself that he was on a mission and liking his clients or them liking him wasn't a necessary part of the job. But it was one more really big reason he'd wanted to get home as soon as he could.

"So what did you do to make the kind of enemies that have the Hokage so worried?"

"I guess that happened when I finally did save the kid's life."

"Don't stop there, Naruto! What happened?"

He grinned and looked at her. This was really nice. They were lying there as easily as if they were more than just fellow shinobi. She really seemed to be interested in his story. She was looking intensely at him. She was listening avidly to him. She was admiring and impressed. He'd never had such undivided, flattering attention from a female before. He really, really liked it.

He switched positions lying his head down on his arm and bending his leg to place one foot flat on the bed, his arm lying across it, but ready for gesturing to accompany his story. "There'd been a series of small attacks on the kid all along. The other bodyguards were always there to stop them. I say small attacks, but without the bodyguards the kid would have been hurt pretty badly or even dead after some of them. Anyway, the last time was a week before the election. This one was a real surprise. The guys who came at us were dressed in school uniforms. They managed to get close enough to knock us out with something sweet smelling on a cloth, and then kidnap us. I didn't even see it coming. The school had seemed pretty safe and secure until then. But there were places that we were almost alone and the school wouldn't let the bodyguards into classes or the locker rooms. They didn't let strangers in the school either, but it was a big school. After a few months, a lot of kids still looked like strangers to me," he shook his head. That had been one big mistake that could have ended in a fatal failure for his mission. He didn't like to think about how close he'd come to an international failure for the Hidden Leaf Village.

"It wasn't your fault, Naruto. You were only one shinobi. There have been plenty of failed missions with many shinobi involved. I'm sure you did your best."

"I tried. Hey, if those guys hadn't taken me, too, it would have been all over—but they did. Anyway, we woke up tied to chairs in a plain room with three guys sitting at a table playing cards. We were tied facing them so I could work on my bonds without them really seeing what I was doing. Every once in a while someone would tell me to sit still and I'd do it for a few minutes, but I'd always go back to it. I had plenty of weapons stashed on me, but none of them were handy for this job."

"They didn't check you out for weapons when you were unconscious?"

"Nope. I guess they fell for my act, and thought I was just the foreign exchange student I was pretending to be. I could feel the shurikens and kunai blades still hidden on me. Anyway, I was able loosen the ropes tying me down after about an hour. It really helped that the kid kept ordering them to untie him and threatening them. They either told him they'd gag him if he didn't shut up, or they made fun of him. Some of the things they said would have been kinda funny in another situation, but they upset the kid and he finally did shut up," he paused. He'd never talked so long at one time before, but he could get used to it. An audience hanging on his every word was a real ego boost.

"Don't stop. What happened next? Did you attack them?"

"I thought about it, but I didn't know what kinda fighters those three guys were. I wanted to wait until one or two of them left the room. Then maybe I could fight them one at a time or one then two. I wanted the odds as favorable as possible before I took them on. Plus, since I didn't know where we were, I didn't couldn't tell if there were others outside the room, so I waited—but not long. I only waited until I heard something I didn't like." The dramatic pause had worked for him before, so he tried it again.

"What was it?" By this time Hinata had sat up and was hugging her knees to her chest and under her chin. She felt more comfortable in this position, and she could see Naruto more clearly. She enjoyed watching his face as he told his story. He had a very expressive face. His eyes even seemed to darken or lighten with his mood. Right now they seemed a very deep blue.

"They were talking about cutting off the kid's ear and sending it to his dad—and killing me outright. They hadn't been sure which one of us was the kid until he'd started threatening them, but now they had no use for me—so why keep me around."

"Oh my! Good thing you weren't just a typical foreign exchange student. What did you do?"

"There wasn't any choice then. I had to fight. My feet were still tied, but the chair was an old wooden one, so I stood up and slammed back against the wall with the chair behind me. I was out of my bonds before they reacted. I did my clone jutsu right away to keep them busy then I untied the kid and told him to hide. I got out my shurikens, and hit all three guys in various spots. I don't think they'd ever seen the clone jutsu and I think it freaked them out. One of them ran off after he was hit by a few shurikens. One of them got hit in the eyes with the shurikens and went down under a few clones. The other guy was a pretty good fighter. He fought right through the clones to me. He fought fast with hard kicks and hand chops. The room was too small to move away to prepare for another jutsu. Whenever I tried to get some distance between us, he kept coming at me. All I could do for awhile was block his kicks and chops as best I could. He was almost as fast as Neji. Finally, he paused giving me a small opening. I quickly pulled out a kunai blade hidden in me pants leg, and while he was focused on that trying to kick it out of my hand, I pulled out another and stabbed it in his side before he realized I had two blades. It still didn't stop him right away. He fought damned hard. I kept attacking the wound. He finally slipped on his own blood hitting the floor hard, and he never got back up."

Hinata leaned back and let out the breath she'd been holding. She'd always found Naruto's fights exciting when she'd watched them during exams and competitions. This was the first time she'd heard him describe a fight, but she'd seen him fight enough times to be able to visualize it. She found his retelling just as exciting as watching him fight. He used gestures, dramatic noises and facial expressions that brought it all to life for her. And besides all that, she just liked listening to his raspy voice. It was like music to her ears.

"Were you badly hurt?"

"Naw, nothing broken or any serious cuts—just black and blue—really black and blue. I looked like a rainbow for a week afterwards—and every square inch of me was sore."

"What did the kid think of you after that?"

"You could say, I impressed him. I won even more points when I summoned one of Gama Bunta's assistant toads and had him take us back to the kid's house."

"What happened to the kidnappers?"

"One got away, one was arrested and one died," he said matter-of-factly, although it still bothered him. He never liked to kill. He always felt even the really bad guys could somehow be redeemed.

"Was that the end of the threat?"

"Pretty much. My job was finished after the election—the next week.

"So he was safe after that?"

"As safe as the son of a rich politician could be. I guess. He still has the usual bodyguards, but he didn't need one following him everywhere like a second skin the way I'd been doing. Of course, I still could have had the job if I'd wanted to. The kid liked me and wanted me to stay, but I just wanted to come home."

"How did Lord Jiraiya get hurt?"

"Oh that. He tripped on the stairs and broke his wrist. At least, that's what he said, but I think he just wanted to stay a little while longer and sight see freely with the trip paid for by the Hokage. He'd heard about a resort he wanted to check out so he made out that his injury was worse than it was. He said I could go with him, but I didn't want to. I wanted to go home," he repeated. It had been his mantra for a long time.

"You were homesick." She smiled knowingly.

He jerked his head up. "No way, Hinata! That makes me sound like a little kid."

"You don't have to be a kid to be homesick. It just means you want to be where you feel comfortable and at ease. That's what home is."

"Well, I don't miss my tiny apartment. You should have seen the room I was assigned in that rich guy's mansion. It was bigger than five times my apartment."

"Did you like living like a rich man, Naruto?"

"At first I did, but you've got no freedom when you're rich. You can't trust anyone and you can't do whatever you want. It's like a cage—a big one so you won't notice so much, but it's still a cage."

"So you really wouldn't like being rich?"

"Now, I never said that. I just wouldn't want to be that rich or live for long in that country or with those kinds of people. I'd rather be able to walk by myself anywhere looking anyway I wanted than always be worried about what people thought of me. Do you know they wouldn't let me wear my orange jacket? Not only that—they wouldn't let me wear orange at all!"

"How horrible!" Hinata giggled when she said it.

"It was horrible. Orange is my trademark. Hey, and you know what else?"

"What else?"

"I haven't had ramen noodles for a year."

"Now that _is_ horrible. I had ramen noodles just this week."

"You did? You like ramen noodles?" He asked pleased that they had that in common.

"Who doesn't like ramen noodles?"

"Rich people, that's who. When I described my favorite meal to the kid, he wrinkled up his nose as if I'd been describing garbage. You should see some of the stuff they eat. They have more sauces to cover things up than there are noodles in a bowl of ramen."

"Really? What else do rich people do?"

Hinata continued to encourage Naruto to describe his adventures abroad. She'd never been more than fifty miles away from their village herself so it was fascinating to hear how people in other countries lived. Of course, she realized that the people Naruto described were in an exclusive minority, but it was still interesting. She liked hearing his outraged and amused commentary on his trip. Despite being a member of a wealthy village clan herself, she could identify more with Naruto's view of his experiences than with the wealthy client he'd lived with. She was really a simple girl at heart.

Naruto had never had such an enthralled audience to what he had to say. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time anyone was interested in something he had to say—at least interested enough to ask questions that weren't part of a debriefing after a mission. Yet, Hinata did seem really interested in what he was telling her. It was incredibly flattering. And her interest in him made her seem even more attractive in his eyes. He couldn't even remember why he'd never really noticed her before, but he was totally aware of her now. He knew her smell, her touch, her laugh, her voice and her taste. He knew how to make her laugh, to blush, and what to say to make her eyes open wide with surprise. That was more than he'd ever known of anyone in his life. Suddenly, he didn't feel so alone.

Hinata looked up at the window. "I think it's time to go."

Naruto sighed and sat up. "Already? I wish we could just stay here for those five days you've got us registered."

She looked at him wistfully. She did, too. "That will give your enemies too long to prepare their attack. We've got to go now."

"You know, I don't believe there are any enemies. I think this idea is all in the Hokage's imagination."

Hinata remembered the menace she'd been feeling ever since she'd met Naruto's train. She didn't believe the Hokage's worry was in vain or invented. She was afraid that menace was out there waiting for them—and despite all her preparations and precautions—she was afraid they were going to have to face it before they were safely back in the village.


	7. The long way home

Operation: Bring home Naruto

VII. The long way home

It was a beautiful autumn night. The air was cool and crisp. The sky was clear with twinkling stars and only a sliver of moonlight to lighten the darkness. It was a perfect night for two people with excellent night vision to travel through the dark alleyways of the city unseen by the average watcher.

Naruto had taken Hinata's pack onto his own back with some lame excuse about wanting the food and water under his control, but actually he felt guilty that he was so ill-prepared for the journey ahead of them. It had never occurred to him that he couldn't simply jump off the train and walk out of the city heading directly for home. If Hinata wasn't so serious about her mission, he might have suggested doing just that. Then again, he was having fun. He enjoyed Hinata's company more than he ever would have thought to in the past. He still had trouble reconciling the shy Hinata he'd left a year ago with the attractive and competent woman he'd met at the train station. He found himself wanting to know more about this new Hinata, and the idea of prolonging his time in her company by taking the long way home suited his purpose.

She frowned as she watched him put on her backpack. She didn't mind him carrying it, but something bothered her about it. "You have no luggage," she stated suddenly. "Oh my! You must have had luggage after your long trip. We forgot your luggage at the station, didn't we? What should we do? Do we need to collect it?" Hinata lightly slapped her forehead. She hadn't given it a thought until just now. Of course, he'd have some kind of luggage after a year. She'd been so intent on her pretend role that she hadn't considered anything else. This could be one major setback to the careful timing of their escape from the city. And someone would definitely be watching at the station—waiting for them to fetch Naruto's luggage.

"Yeah. That's okay. I only had a duffle bag, and it didn't contain anything I really need. Just extra clothes and a few souvenirs. Nothing important. I travel pretty light. All I need's in this little pack at my waist," he patted his small pack thinking about identification and money when he felt the box holding the bracelet he'd bought for Sakura.

He'd forgotten all about that. Now he wasn't so sure he wanted to give it to her. As a peace offering it was too expensive, but it was exactly right for a girl he was interested in. Unfortunately for her, he no longer seemed to be interested in Sakura. She'd been pushed completely out of his fantasies. The term _girlfriend _now conjured up an entirely different picture colored in red not pink. He'd have to find something else in the village when they got back to give to Sakura as a peace offering. He'd rather hold on to the bracelet for now.

"I have to leave some of my luggage behind, too," she said thinking aloud. "_I_ _know_—the Hokage can send someone from the village to collect what we've left behind after we get back," she concluded with relief. That would work.

"Would she do that for us? It doesn't matter to me," he said indifferently. He didn't have a lot of possessions, but clothes were the least important thing he owned.

"Of course, she will," Hinata told him confidently. "This mission was her idea. She'll tie up all the loose ends."

He shrugged. "If you say so. I don't plan to come back and get my duffle on my own—so I don't care."

"I don't really need what I'll be leaving behind either. You're right, it's just some extra clothes,' she agreed. She'd been a light packer, too. "Maybe we should just forget about them."

"What about that red dress and shoes? Don't leave those behind!" he insisted. He really did like that dress and shoes.

She flushed and ducked her head. "I did put those at the bottom of my backpack," she confessed. "I was afraid I wouldn't get them back if I didn't bring them with me. They don't take up much room," she added defensively.

He patted the pack on his back. "That's okay with me. I'd carry them even if we didn't have the room—just in case, the Hokage isn't as willing to retrieve the stuff we left behind as you think. I'd like to see you in that outfit again sometime."

"I—yes—okay," she agreed faintly. She wasn't sure what he was suggesting, but she liked the promising sound of it.

The next part of the plan was to climb out the window so no one in the hotel would see them leave. Several reservations all over the city and this room under an assumed name would keep the enemy guessing for awhile, but not forever. So the fewer people who could answer questions about them the better. Unfortunately, she could have done nothing to hide Naruto's colorful, energetic presence. Even without the orange, he couldn't help being noticeable. So she and the Hokage had used Naruto's natural noticeable presence to draw more attention to them all day. The trick had been to control when and where the notice would be.

Hinata had a rope with a four-pronged hooked metal end to aid them in the job of leaving by the window. It would be an easy exercise for anyone who had learned to concentrate chakra on their feet—plus they only had to climb down two floors. She and Naruto were both quite capable of the task.

She put on her jacket and zipped it up. Nodding for Naruto to turn out the light she waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness then opened and looked out the window. All was quiet at the back of the hotel. She secured the hooked end of the rope to the window sill and lowered it softly to the ground. She climbed out the window first. She gave Naruto a nod and a small smile before beginning her descent. Bracing her feet against the wall, she hopped down the side of the building controlling her descent by allowing the rope to slide tightly between her hands.

She'd left instructions for Naruto to close the window as much as possible when he was on the outside. He was to follow her down once she was on the ground. Simple enough instructions. She couldn't think of any reason for him to deviate from them, but still she watched the window anxiously until he was outside. She continued to watch him with her arms hanging loose and ready as if to catch him should he slip.

She felt like an overprotective mother. She hardly wanted to let him out of her sight until he was safely back in the village. No matter how well, she and the Hokage had planned this mission, it all hinged on the quality of the enemy that was after Naruto. She had felt their menace and knew them to be real, but she was convinced the success of this mission depended on how slowly the enemy caught on to her deception. If she'd been convincing enough, she and Naruto just might be able to reach the village before the enemy could figure out where and when they were. They shouldn't even suspect a thing until tomorrow when she and Naruto failed to make an appearance anywhere in the city the entire day.

As well as an anxious mother, she felt like a proud one when Naruto landed as expected beside her. She wanted to give him a big hug, but she contained herself. He'd only been away from her side for a few minutes. It was scarcely an occasion for celebration or welcome, but she was relieved that he was nearby once more. Instead of the big hug, she patted his arm—she had to acknowledge her appreciation of his following her lead somehow—then she turned her attention to the telltale rope hanging out the window.

She'd assumed that either she or Naruto would be able to detach the hook by flipping the rope a few times to loosen it then pull it out the window without it catching again. She'd practiced the maneuver with the Hokage. It wasn't the simplest thing to do, but with the right jerking motion they'd surely be able to beat her last practice time of ten minutes and get out of here as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, Naruto had the right touch to loosen the hook and jerk it to the ground in under a minute. If they weren't supposed to be quiet, she'd have praised his ability there and then. Once again she managed to curb her enthusiasm and merely touched his arm, smiled and nodded her head. She then picked up the rope and twined it around her shoulder and elbow. When she had it all looped together she tied the pronged end around the bundle then put it over her head to carry over her right shoulder to rest on her left hip.

Silently, she motioned to Naruto and led the way through the alley in the opposite direction of the village. She'd studied a map of the area with the Hokage before leaving on the mission. The Hokage had often visited the city, so she was familiar enough with the area to give Hinata sound advice on what and where she had to do there. They'd chosen a roundabout route to return to the village. It began in the opposite direction and was twice as long as the normal route, but the Hokage had feared making them too easy to find by taking the direct route. She felt the element of surprise and confusion would more than absorb the extra time they'd take. She'd hoped that Hinata and Naruto could travel quickly enough that the enemy wouldn't figure it out, and be able to catch up to them before they reached home. As with all plans, the Hokage had advised her, it depended on the intelligence and resources of one's opponent. It never did to underestimate them. One could only hope that one's opponent was not as clever or intuitive as oneself, but plan for every contingency. Hinata believed that no one was as clever or intuitive as the Hokage. She trusted this plan implicitly with her and Naruto's life, and hadn't deviated so far by a single step. That's how much she believed in the Hokage.

It took them at least an hour to climb fences, walls and gates between buildings and houses while avoiding unexpected dogs or people in the alleyways before reaching the last house considered a part of the city. They walked off, but parallel to the main road leading out of the city. According to the map, they needed to pass through the next village along the road before turning into and cutting through a major forest to meet up with another main road leading into the opposite end of the village to the way they would ordinarily have entered. If they walked all night and into the next day, they would reach the village by noon—provided nothing detained them.

Hinata had told Naruto that they would stop briefly in the village, but wouldn't rest again for any length of time until the next night. She only planned for them to make camp for a few hours once they were in the forest. They needed to make as much time as possible on the first leg of the journey. Hinata was adamant about that, and Naruto hadn't argued. This was Hinata's mission. He wouldn't interfere unless his own instinct reared its head, but so far it had been completely mute. He rather liked the importance she placed on his safety. He didn't believe it was all from the Hokage's instructions, either. Hinata was concerned about him on her own not just as part of her mission. That thought made him want to grin his biggest grin. Everything she'd said and done so far just made him feel good. He couldn't imagine anyone taking on this mission who could have managed that. (Once again the bossy Sakura came unfavorably to mind.)

They walked silently, listening to the crickets, frogs and night owls along the way. They heard the wind gently rustling the leaves in the trees, and the brush of other creatures moving through the same fields. They also listened for other people. They especially wanted to avoid other people. They didn't have time to explain who they were, why they were out so late, and that they meant no harm. It was better to remain quiet and hidden as long as possible—at least until daylight. They'd return to the road in the daylight. It would be less suspicious to strangers if they walked openly along the road until they reached the next village. That was the reasoning Hinata had been given for walking in the dark along unfamiliar terrain. It made sense, but it slowed their progress. She had to be careful not to fall in snake holes or trip over tree roots. That little bit of moonlight was really a great help in making out the ground they trod. However, it would have been nice to see even more clearly. She almost wished there were a full moon—if it wouldn't have invalidated their stealthy departure.

Despite the concentration she had to give their path, she still had too much time to think. She began to realize that what she really had to do was stop worrying. She had everything as much under control as she could. That was all she could do for now. And at least, the man she was protecting was the strongest shinobi she knew. He probably didn't even need her, except to remind him to be careful. He wasn't taking his danger nearly seriously enough. It was her most important task to see that he did. If she convinced him to follow her lead and the Hokage's plans then they'd be prepared for any circumstances. And so far so good. Naruto was being extraordinarily cooperative.

Naruto followed Hinata since she was the one who knew the way. However, she wasn't as sure-footed as he was, and neither of them was familiar with the terrain, so there were plenty of missteps, trips and falls along the way. He was able to prevent most of them by keeping close behind her and watching their feet while she kept watch in front of them. They made a good team as they plodded through the brush and tall grasses near the road. He began to anticipate her missteps before she got into trouble, and was able to keep her upright. In fact, it had become rather enjoyable catching Hinata around the waist and holding her against him until she regained her footing. Of course, he was finding just being with Hinata an enjoyable experience no matter what they did—even walking silently for hours in the dark.

Twice before dawn, they hid in the trees as they heard groups of travelers pass along the road towards the city. They weren't large or threatening groups, but Hinata didn't want them seen and remembered. She'd prefer that no one heading to the city saw them. She didn't want reports of their whereabouts to reach any interested parties. Daylight would change that situation somewhat, but at least she could postpone the inevitable as long as possible by hiding in the dark.

Despite the long night of walking, Naruto found the quiet of the night rather pleasant. It had been a long time since he'd been outside a city. For an entire year, his mission had taken place within the confines of the largest city he'd ever seen. Any greenery he'd glimpsed had seemed like the animals in the zoo he and Hinata had visited—captured and foreign to their environment. He preferred the Hidden Leaf Village. It wasn't exactly small, but it managed to preserve vast areas of nature throughout. Every home had a garden of some description, and trees were plentiful throughout the village. It was quieter and less bustling than the city they'd just left and especially the city overseas. At least, that was how he remembered it. He hoped it hadn't changed.

He hated when that happened. The last time he'd been away, he'd been gone three years. When he'd returned the village had seemed different. It had grown while he was away. He didn't like change. He'd wanted everything to be the same—every tree, every bush, every house, every person. But even he had changed when he'd been gone, so he really couldn't expect everything else to remain stagnant. That was just the child in him finding security in the familiar. He was older now and more adaptable. And he had already discovered that change could be a good thing—like the changes he was seeing in Hinata.

Thinking about the last time he'd been gone, he grinned as he remembered the one thing he had found that had remained the same—his tiny apartment. It had remained just as he'd left it—just a bit dustier. And he wished he'd remembered to throw the milk away before he'd left. That had been disgusting after three years!

Naruto wasn't used to doing so much walking anymore. By the time they saw the first fingers of dawn paint the horizon, he was ready for a short break. He touched Hinata's shoulder to stop her steady trek.

"Let's stop for a few minutes. I need to give my feet a rest."

She looked around, but didn't see anyplace she felt safe near the road. "Not here. Let's get away from the road—into the trees where we can't be seen," she suggested. She was tired, too. How she wished there was a warm bath and a soft bed somewhere in her near future.

They moved inland until they found a small clearing. Naruto removed the backpack and slumped to the ground next to a tree. He waited for Hinata to do the same, but she stood rocking from foot to foot.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I—ah—I need some personal time. I'm going farther into the woods. You stay here," she told him finally with a blush on her downcast face.

He watched her with a puzzled frown on his face. "Personal time? What do you mean?"

"I—I'll be right back. Don't go away," she told him and moved off quickly into the woods. Naruto could be so obtuse sometimes. It embarrassed her to be more explicit. She hoped he'd just let her go, and wouldn't try to follow.

Naruto watched her leave with the puzzled frown still on his face. Personal time? What the heck—then it suddenly occurred to him what she needed to do that was personal and really none of his damn business. He grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. What an idiot he could be sometimes!

He sat still for a few minutes then stood up deciding that it would be a good idea for him to take some _personal time_ in the woods himself, and went in the opposite direction from Hinata to deal with his own needs.

He'd just turned to start back towards the little clearing when he heard a faint cry. He stopped and listened. Was that a bird or animal he'd heard? Or simply his imagination? It had sounded human.

In the quiet, he heard many small noises, but no repeat of the faint cry. He decided it had been his imagination, and began to head back to Hinata when the cry came again but louder. This time he knew what he heard was a child cry out, "Mama! Mama!" and then begin sobbing. It was too heart-wrenching to ignore. He sharply turned back around, and headed briskly towards the crying child.


	8. The cry in the woods

Operation: Bring home Naruto

VIII. The cry in the woods

When Hinata returned to the clearing, her heart stopped. The backpack lay carelessly against a tree, but there was no bright, grinning Naruto beside it. Where was he? Was he in the woods doing what she'd been doing? Or had he been kidnapped? _Calm down, Hinata_, she told herself, _think this through_.

If there had been kidnappers—wouldn't there be evidence of a fight? Naruto would not have gone easily. Logically, the answer was Yes.

If there had been kidnappers—wouldn't she have heard something? She hadn't been that far away. Logically, the answer was Yes.

If there had been kidnappers—wouldn't they have taken the backpack leaving her stranded? Logically, the answer was Yes.

Conclusion: there had been no kidnapping.

As far as the evidence of the tidy, empty clearing revealed, her arguments were sound. She slumped against the tree as her incipient panic subsided to a boiling worry. What other conclusions could she logically draw to calm her completely?

If Naruto went into the woods—wouldn't he have left the backpack behind? Logically, the answer was Yes.

While she had been gone, she'd found a stream and spent a little longer than she normally would have with her personal business. If Naruto had left the clearing not long after she had—wouldn't he have finished and returned by now? Logically, the answer was Yes. However, he might not have left so soon after her. He might have waited awhile. In that case, logic dictated an answer of No.

Should she go looking for him or give him the same courtesy of privacy that he had given her? Logically, the answer was No to the former question and Yes to the latter one.

She paced the perimeter of the clearing. She'd concluded there were no kidnappers, but she wasn't satisfied with her conclusions regarding Naruto's absence. Among his many and excellent qualities, Naruto could also be impulsive, casual, reckless, and heedless. In determining Naruto's behavior, logic could only take her so far—and that point had been reached when he unpredictably disappeared from the clearing in her absence after she'd told him to stay there and not leave. In other words, Naruto defied logic.

How long had he been gone? How long should she wait? He was a trained shinobi. He couldn't be lost, but what if something else had detained him? What could that something else be? Could he have gotten hurt? Did he need her help? Was he unable to return?

She walked over to the place at the edge of the clearing the bent grass looked as if he'd walked through it. She peered into the trees. If he were anywhere near or walking back—surely she'd be able to glimpse his orange jacket? But it was early autumn. Leaves were turning red, brown, orange and already falling from the trees. She could imagine glimpsing him all over these woods, but none of those small glimpses of orange grew into Naruto's reassuring form.

She stared off into the woods one more time using her Byakugan, but he must have been out of her range. She saw nothing representing Naruto. She paced around the clearing again.

She was an infinitely patient person ordinarily, but these were not ordinary circumstances. She'd had enough waiting. If she were wrong, and appeared overly worried, she would accept that criticism. In the meantime, she would have her worry either mollified or justified, and she prayed for the former.

She returned to the large tree in the small clearing, and put on the backpack. She walked to the edge of the clearing, and headed out through the rumpled grasses that looked as if someone had walked on and through them. She'd follow what she hoped was his path, and she'd find him. She had to find him. Naruto meant more to her than just a mission—he always had and he probably always will. She wouldn't lose him—not without a fight.

* * *

Naruto slowed his walk to quiet his progress through the tall grass and weeds towards the sound of the sobbing child. 

There was a possibility that it wasn't a child—or not a child in need. It could be a trick. But he didn't think so—not after the elaborate preparations and planning Hinata and the Hokage had developed just to get him home. He didn't think he had enemies that intense, inventive or resourceful to have every path to the Hidden Leaf Village staked out just to catch him. However, he decided to err on the side of caution (a first for him) and go carefully forward. Besides—he wouldn't want to deliberately screw up Hinata's mission in any way. He wanted her to be successful in her sorta solo mission.

The sound of sobbing became quieter, but at the same time clearer until he finally reached another clearing and the source of the noise.

In the center of the clearing was a little girl with short dark hair. She sat rocking and sucking her thumb between sobs. There were partially dried trails of tears down her cheeks still being fed by the occasional tear. Surrounding her was a pillow and blanket, but otherwise only grass. When she heard Naruto, she looked up with anxious hope in her wide brown eyes, and pulled her thumb from her mouth. But he wasn't the one she was seeking, so she immediately let out an even louder and longer cry of, "_Mama!_"

Naruto wasn't dismayed. If Mama were near, surely she would hear that cry and come running? He would certainly rather have a happy ending to this problem than to find himself suddenly responsible for an abandoned child. Nor did he think Hinata would be very pleased at this unexpected glitch to her plans. And she'd been so insistent on following the Hokage's carefully thought out script. He really hated to disappoint her.

He still approached the child slowly looking around as he did so. He examined the area for signs of Mama in the grass around the child, but there was no evidence of an adult having sat or lain beside her. From the direction he approached, there were no bent or flattened areas to signify that someone had passed through. He circled around the clearing, and finally found a slightly agitated area that led away and could have been the path an adult took. If it were—the adult in question hadn't taken the path recently. The grasses had already recovered significantly from being tromped upon. The child must have been sleeping under the tree a good portion of the night.

He followed the slight path from the trees to see where it led. As he left the child's line of sight, she began crying more loudly. He walked only a few yards when he came to a spot that looked as if more than one person had stood there. It wasn't as well recovered as the path leading up to it. The path leading away from the spot was just as poorly recovered which led him to conclude that several people had walked away from the area but only one person had approached the clearing. There was no sign that a struggled had taken place, the area was too contained. Had whoever been there willingly abandoned the little girl in the clearing? Why? Where was her mama?

He couldn't answer those questions yet, and he couldn't continue following the trail without letting Hinata know what was going on, or leaving the child alone again. He knew what it felt like to be alone and abandoned. He'd felt that way all his life. He couldn't let that little girl feel it any longer than necessary. He turned around and went back to the clearing.

The child was more welcoming of him this time. She didn't cry out for her Mama, but watched him anxiously, sucking her thumb rapidly and hugging her blanket to her. She wasn't afraid of him—she was afraid because her mama wasn't nearby. So he thought that whoever brought her there hadn't harmed her.

Naruto squatted down in front of her. He reached out to touch her blanket. It felt damp to his touch. It was just as he'd suspected—the child had been here long enough to absorb the dampness of the night's condensation.

He smiled at her, "Hey there. What's your name?"

She pulled her thumb from her mouth, "Mama!" she told him.

He abandoned that question for another. "Where is your mama?"

"Mama lost."

"Was your mama here with you?"

She shook her head and looked around. "Not my room. Mama not here."

"Who brought you here?"

She shook her head again. "I want my Mama." She started to cry again.

"Hey, don't cry," he patted her lightly on the head. "I'll help you find your mama."

"Mama," she said weakly.

"I bet you're thirsty," he reached for the backpack then remembered he'd left it back at the other clearing. "Damn—I mean—darn, I need Hinata. We should go back to the other clearing," he spoke aloud not because she'd understand, but just to reassure her with the sound of his voice. "I don't want to lose this clearing. I might need to follow that trail. It has to be the trail that the person who brought you here made. There isn't any other obvious way." He sat back on his heels.

What would Hinata think when she reached the clearing and he wasn't there? Would she panic? He didn't want to call out to her. He didn't know who might be around—friendly or unfriendly. Would she come looking for him? Would she figure out where to look? His trail had to be as easy to follow as the one leading away from this clearing. She was a trained shinobi, she could handle this problem. He had to trust she'd know what to do.

He smiled at the child, and talked aloud about nothing to keep her from crying and worrying about her mama.

* * *

She'd walked out of sight of the clearing but not much farther before she heard a low voice. It sounded like Naruto's voice. She bit her lip to stop from crying out his name, and halted to listen. The voice was only a soft murmur to her, but it didn't sound scared, angry or worried. She'd take no chances. She'd move more carefully and quietly until she knew clearly what was up ahead—and if her complete shinobi skills were needed. 

As she moved closer to the sound of Naruto's voice—and she knew it was his voice as she came closer—she saw the top of his sunny, unruly head of hair. She realized he was sitting or squatting on the ground. As she watched, he stopped talking and tilted his head towards her. He must have heard her. He stood up and turned, a big grin spreading across his face as he saw her.

She hurried towards him, and without thinking she threw her arms around him above his waist. "I was so worried. Why didn't you come back?"

He looked down at the top of her head buried against him. The backpack prevented him from giving her the reassuring reciprocal hug he wanted to, so he gave her a pat on the head as reassuringly as he'd given the little girl. "Hey, I'm okay. Sorry, I left you back there without any warning, but wait until you see what I found."

She raised her head still holding on to him. "What is it?"

He put his hands on her shoulders and turned them both around so she could see what had been behind him.

She didn't know what to expect, but it certainly wasn't the cute little girl who had been sitting behind Naruto. "Not Mama!" the child cried in disappointment when she got a good look at Hinata.

Hinata looked up at Naruto and loosened her grip on him. "Who is she? How did you find her?"

He rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know who she is. I found her from her crying. She says her mama's lost, but I haven't seen any signs that her mama was even here."

She finally allowed herself to completely release Naruto. She hid her momentary embarrassment by bending her head to lower her backpack, and then to squat down to talk to the child.

"Hello. My name is Hinata. What's your name?" She pointed to herself then the child.

"Me Kaori," she said pointing to her chest.

Naruto squatted down beside her. "She must like you. That's more than she'd tell me."

"Are you thirsty, Kaori?" Hinata opened her backpack and retrieved a water bottle. She opened it and held it out to the child. Kaori took it eagerly, and gulped down some water.

"What about food?"

"I only brought dried beef. I thought we'd forge for anything else we needed. I don't think she'd like it very much."

"I want to check out the path I think whoever brought her here took in and out of the clearing. Why don't I do that and look for something to eat? You stay here with Kaori," Naruto suggested. He'd forgotten his tired feet with a puzzle before him.

"Okay," she sat down beside Kaori tucking the blanket around the child. It was still early. The sun hadn't warmed things up enough yet.

Naruto stood and walked towards what he thought was the exit point.

"Naruto?" Hinata called softly.

He stopped and turned his head to look back at her. "Yeah?"

"Please be careful—and hurry back."

He grinned and saluted her. "Yes, ma'am."

Hinata reluctantly watched him leave. She'd only just gotten him back, and now she had to let him go off on his own again. She couldn't help worrying. Perhaps she should have been the one to check out the path and forage for food. But already, Kaori was settling in comfortably beside her. She seemed more comfortable with Hinata than she had been with Naruto. Probably because she missed her mother so much.

She sighed as she settled back on the grass. She was seeing the careful plans she'd made with the Hokage go up in flames. Unless Naruto somehow found the child's mother while he was looking around, this was a major setback to their timetable. But it couldn't be helped. They weren't the type of people to just ignore someone in need—especially someone as small, and helpless as Kaori. She would just have to hope for a quick solution to this little problem so they could get back to her initial mission.

She looked down at Kaori. She appeared to be about three or four years old. She was wearing a clean sleeping gown and her hair looked fairly clean. She was well cared for, and couldn't have been here for long. Why was she here in the middle of the woods all alone? Maybe she could get a few helpful answers from the child while Naruto was gone.

"Where is your mama, Kaori?"

"Mama lost."

"How did you get here?"

"I sleep. I be here."

"Where did you go to sleep last night?"

"My bed."

"Where is your bed?"

"My room."

"Where is your room?"

"My house."

"Where is your house?"

"At home."

Hinata sighed in frustration. Well, that line of questioning didn't work very well. She'd have to try something else. "What is your mama's name?"

"Mama."

"What is your papa's name?"

"Papa."

"Does your mama have a second name? Another name besides mama?"

Kaori just looked puzzled, and sucked her thumb again.

Hinata sat quietly beside her trying to think of another way to get the information she needed. "What does your papa call your mama?"

"Mama be Kaho."

"What does your mama call your papa?

"Papa be Hiromi."

Well, she'd gotten a little farther that time. "Do your parents have another name? A name that people not in your family call them."

Kaori looked puzzled again. "I gotta pee pee," she said suddenly and tried to stand up.

Hinata stopped the loud sigh she wanted to utter again, reminding herself how patient she was—good with animals and children. "Okay, I'll help you."

Hinata took Kaori away from the clearing, but the child wasn't happy. She didn't seem to want to leave the clearing at first. She kept calling her mama. Hinata assured her they wouldn't go too far away, and she finally understood.

The next hurdle was the lack of a bathroom. It, also took her awhile to convince Kaori to pee in the grass. She'd been well trained in the proper place for going to the bathroom—and the grass was not that place. She thought her mama would be mad at her. Hinata had to walk her around the clearing to show her that there was no bathroom before necessity finally solved the problem.

Afterwards, they returned to the clearing and sat down to wait for Naruto. Hinata tried to think of other questions to ask Kaori, but she couldn't get any useful responses from the child. She didn't seem to know her family name or the name of the place where she lived. She didn't know how she'd gotten to the woods or who'd brought her there. As far as she was concerned it was her mama who was lost—not her. So finally, Hinata gave up, and told Kaori a story while they waited.

* * *

"I'm back," Naruto entered the clearing holding his bulging jacket in his arms. 

"Naruto!" Hinata exclaimed overjoyed to see him back safe and sound. He'd been gone what seemed to be a long time, but by the movement of the sun couldn't have been more than an hour. If Kaori hadn't been sitting in her lap, she would have been tempted to jump up and embarrass herself by clinging to him again. Now that the physical barriers between them had been crossed, she didn't know how she'd be able to go back to the way they'd been in the past. She felt so comfortable being close to him.

He plopped down beside her putting his jacket down in front of her. "I think you'll like what I found out in the woods."

"Strawberries and cucumbers. That's wonderful, Naruto." She plucked a large, ripe strawberry from the pile, twisted off the leafy top and gave it to Kaori.

"You eat, Hinata, and I'll feed Kaori," he held out his arms and took the child onto his lap. She went willingly. She seemed to have calmed down considerably since Naruto had first found her. She seemed to believe that it was only a matter of time before she was back with her mama.

"Aren't you hungry, too?"

"I ate some while I was picking them." He fed another strawberry to Kaori, then took out a kunai blade to peel one of the small cucumbers for her.

Hinata looked at his mouth and giggled. "I just noticed—you're wearing red lipstick, Naruto."

"What? What do you mean?" He frowned and licked his lips.

"Strawberry juice. Kaori and I'll look the same when we finish eating."

He swiped his arm over his mouth. "On you it'll look good. I hope it wears off before I meet anyone else. I don't want to look like an idiot."

She giggled again. "I'm sure it will. Eat a cucumber."

Naruto peeled some cucumbers for them, and they spent a few minutes eating noisily. "Why does food taste so much better when you pick it yourself?"

"It's fresher," she offered.

"Yeah, maybe that's it. Someday I'll have a house with a garden and have fresh fruit and vegetables all the time."

"When you're Hokage," she stated with a smile.

"Maybe before then. When I become an elite jônin like Jiraiya or Kakashi, I'll get more money from my missions. Then I should be able to have a nice house."

"You certainly should," she agreed.

"And a family," he dreamed on. "I can start an Uzumaki clan. Then I won't be the only one in the village."

"You'll have to get married," she stated the obvious as she watched his face wishing that she could be a part of his dream.

"Yeah, I know. I've been thinking about that a lot lately," he replied not meeting her eyes. He wasn't sure what message he wanted to send. He was feeling things for Hinata that he'd never felt for anyone before—not even Sakura. But were those feelings real or just part of this crazy mission? He couldn't be certain until it was over.

"Oh," she responded and looked away. _A lot lately_ must mean thinking about Sakura while he'd been away. She'd always been the one he liked. He'd never even noticed Hinata in any particular way until this mission. Since the moment she'd asked him to pretend that she was his girlfriend, he'd been cute and flirtatious, but it had all been a part of the deception. He didn't mean any of it—not really. Still, she felt closer to him than she ever had in the past. She hoped they could be friends after they reached the village safely. That was all she could really hope for.

She couldn't compete with Sakura Haruno—even an engaged Sakura. She had no sex appeal. Boys never noticed her. She thought of Kiba—at least, they'd never noticed her until recently. Maybe she'd just never noticed them. Whichever the case, she now knew how to get their attention if she wanted it. She had a very attractive red dress that certainly caught Naruto's attention once. Maybe it could catch his attention again once they were back home.

On that positive note, she continued eating her strawberries, dreaming her own dreams of the future.


	9. Ramen reward

Operation: Bring home Naruto

IX. Ramen reward

_If only this was the way things really were_, Hinata thought as she swallowed her last strawberry. _Just a pleasant picnic in the woods, Naruto and me—sorry but minus Kaori—with nothing more worrisome on our minds than ants, mosquitoes or who would eat the last strawberry_. Hinata gave a small breathy sigh before facing reality once more.

"What?" Naruto had sensed rather than heard her faint sigh. He seemed to be more attuned to her than he'd ever been to any of his teammates. It was a strange, but somewhat satisfying feeling. When he had the time to think about it, he'd figure out what exactly it meant.

She shook her head unwilling to reveal her thoughts.

"Don't you wish this was a real picnic?" he asked idly.

Startled that his thought had matched hers even partially, she blurted out, "That's just what I was thinking."

He grinned. "Really? Great minds think alike, I guess."

She smiled shyly back, "I guess," she said, and blushed as he continued to look right into her with those deep blue eyes of his. She looked away and changed the subject. "Naruto, where did the path lead you?" she asked shifting Kaori onto her lap while Naruto jumped up beginning to clean up their scraps, putting the leftover cucumbers into the backpack.

"I didn't follow it all the way. I found the strawberries then cucumbers so I decided to gather those, and head back here. I thought Kaori would get too hungry if I took too long," he explained.

She eyed him thoughtfully. He seemed very restrained for Naruto. "Do you want to follow the path to see where it goes?"

He shrugged. "This is your mission, Hinata. It's your decision where we go next. Aren't we on some kind of timetable?"

"We are, but you do want to follow the path, don't you?" she persisted. Their original timetable was already blown, and they couldn't desert Kaori. If her plan had been successful so far, she could cheat the schedule a little.

"I wouldn't mind finding out who put Kaori out here all by herself. That path just might lead us somewhere enlightening."

She stood up and set Kaori down. "Okay," she answered decisively. "Let's follow the path of enlightenment."

He laughed at her play on his words, but asked seriously, "You're not doing this just for me, are you?"

"Naruto, this entire mission is just for you in a way," she told him earnestly. "I want to get you home safely, but I can't just ignore this situation. I want to find out who took Kaori from her mama, too."

He grinned at her, pleased that she'd chosen the way he would have chosen. "Then let's do it. You take the backpack and pillow—they're lighter. I'll take Kaori on my back wrapped in her blanket. How does that sound?"

"If Kaori likes that idea, I'm all for it," she bent down to the little girl watching them solemnly. "Kaori, would you like to go piggy-back?"

The child nodded, sucking her thumb and holding tightly onto her blanket.

"You'll like riding with Naruto. He's a lot of fun," Hinata told her placing her on Naruto's back.

"Do you really think I'm a lot of fun, Hinata?" He looked at her over his shoulder while she adjusted Kaori and her blanket.

"You always keep me smiling," she said doing just that.

He frowned. "I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I don't like being laughed at."

"I've never laughed at you, Naruto. You make me laugh because you're funny."

"Funny ha-ha or funny weird?"

"I never thought you were weird, either," she assured him. It was easy telling him what she didn't think of him, but would she ever have the confidence to tell him what she really did think of him?

"And you don't think I'm a loser or a failure?" he asked seriously wanting to know that she didn't think the worst of him. He'd been called both things on many occasions. He'd never taken them seriously, but he wondered if others had.

She shook her head vehemently. "Never. Who would dare call you such horrible things?"

"Well, there was your cousin, Neji. He's called me a failure." He thought of Sasuke. He still remembered how angry he'd felt when he could never get Sasuke's respect. "Loser came from someone who used to be a winner. It's not important." He shook off his unpleasant thoughts. "Come on. Let's go. We need to find Kaori's mama."

* * *

The path seemed to meander, but it actually saved them time. It led them the way the crow flies across fields and through woods not even glimpsing the road most of the journey. Hinata was amazed to find that the time they'd lost with Kaori and breakfast was saved by following this unlikely path. 

"It looks like the kidnappers came from the village," Naruto said softly as they entered the small village from the alleyway between two buildings.

She nodded. "That would be my guess, too."

Passing into the street, they found themselves near an inn, a grocery, and a ramen eatery. Naruto's eyes lit up, and he looked at Hinata tilting his head towards the ramen eatery.

She smiled at him, "Why not? We have to ask about Kaori somewhere. Why not have ramen while doing it?"

_This was really a girl after his own heart,_ he thought, _in more ways than one_.

They entered the shop and approached the counter. Naruto sat Kaori on a stool between himself and Hinata. When the waiter came over to them, he was just ready to place an order when the man exclaimed, "That's _Kaori Yamamoto_! She was kidnapped last night. You're the _kidnappers_!" His voice rose to a yell with his last word. Customers stood up and surrounded them. Staff from the kitchen in the back came forward to complete the wall of people encircling them.

"No! Wait!" Naruto ordered loudly. "We found her sleeping in the woods some ways from here. We were heading this way so we brought her with us."

"She couldn't tell us where she lived. We were going to leave her here with someone in authority," Hinata added hurriedly when Naruto stopped talking.

"A likely story," the original man told them. "You're the kidnappers!"

"_Right_, like we'd kidnap her than come boldly into the village carrying her with us," Naruto said in disgust.

"Why not? We've never seen you before," the original man said before the others began giving their opinions.

Naruto was seething at that guy's stupid logic. He was getting ready to burst out with something insulting that would probably start a real fight when Hinata reached out and put her hand over his fist pressed against the counter. He glanced at her with his mouth just opening to speak, but when he saw the plea in her eyes he closed his mouth with a snap choking on his harsh words. He sat preternaturally still allowing the crowd to have their say and not immediately defending himself and Hinata. Her hand remained covering his periodically giving it a gentle squeeze which kept his temper and tongue in check.

"That guy makes a lot of sense. It would be stupid to bring her here if they were the kidnappers."

"Nobody ever said the kidnappers were smart."

"What were they doing in the woods anyway?"

"Who cares if they're not the kidnappers?"

"What if they're just really clever kidnappers?"

"What's so clever about bringing Kaori back to the village right away? I don't think Hiromi's paid the ransom yet."

"Maybe they had to. Maybe she's sick."

"Maybe she cried too much."

"What was she doing in the woods? Wouldn't the kidnapper have stashed her somewhere safe?"

"Yeah, that sounds suspicious right there."

"Hey, wait a minute, look at that headband the guy's wearing. What does that mean?"

"Yeah, I recognize that symbol. They're from the Hidden Leaf Village."

"You mean the village that trains shinobi?"

"That's right. They must be shinobi."

"Would shinobi kidnap our children?"

"If they were paid enough, they might."

"Just 'cause you're still bitter about what they wanted to charge you for a mission, doesn't mean they're that mercenary."

"Maybe someone hired them to kidnap our kids?"

The talk was degenerating into argument and insults when a distraught man forced his way through the growing crowd. "_Kaori_!" he cried reaching for her.

Naruto made a move to block him, but stopped when he heard Kaori's cry of "_Papa_!" She held out her arms to the man and he picked her up holding her tightly and rocking her in his arms.

When their emotional reunion was completed, the man turned and bowed to Naruto, "I want to thank you for returning my daughter safely to me. My name is Hiromi Yamamoto."

Naruto returned the bow. "We found her crying for her mama in the woods. We had nothing to do with her kidnapping." The crowds had stopped their loud arguments to watch, but there were still an undercurrent of murmurings.

"She was kidnapped last night. We found a note this morning telling us to leave the ransom beside the big rock at Hana Springs just outside the village by noon. I was just on my way when someone told me she was here. I know you couldn't be the kidnappers. But why was my daughter left alone? They said she would come to no harm if I paid the ransom," he asked earnestly.

"I'm sorry, but we saw no one except Kaori. It looked like she'd been sleeping under the trees. She had a pillow and blanket with her that was damp from the morning dew," Naruto explained.

"I don't understand this," Mr. Yamamoto shook his head in bewilderment. "What will the kidnappers do when they don't find the ransom? Will they try to take my Kaori again?"

The crowd growing restless began their comments again.

"That's right. We don't know how dangerous these kidnappers are."

"They haven't hurt anyone yet, but that could change."

"Yeah, especially when they don't get their ransom."

"Hey, since you're shinobi, can you help us? This is the second time a child has been kidnapped for ransom in the last month. We need to stop this." This statement was met with loud agreement from the crowd.

"We'd like to help, but we're already on a vital mission we must complete," Naruto told them. "If you apply to the Hidden Leaf Village, I'm sure they'll send someone to help you out."

"Yeah, but what will that cost?"

"I've heard you shinobi charge outrageous fees for your services."

"Yeah. We can't afford ransom and help."

"It's not fair too charge so much to help people."

"Missions are our livelihood. It's a job just like baker, blacksmith or shopkeeper. There must be a charge for services rendered," Hinata explained in a louder voice than she usually used. She could feel Naruto tense beside her ready to rise to heated argument. She needed to stop the angry accusations of the villagers, before he responded in his own angry way. "Charges depend upon the danger, difficulty and number of shinobi required. I assure you, the Hokage is fair in her assessment of a mission."

"I never thought of it as a service before."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"I suppose we could try and find out what would be charged."

"We've got to try something. What if more children are kidnapped?"

The crowd's murmurings quieted again.

"I want to pay you for finding my daughter," Mr. Yamamoto told them when he could be heard again. "Will you accept the ransom I was to pay for her return?"

"Oh no! We couldn't. We really didn't do anything, but bring her with us. We were stopping here any way," Hinata demurred.

"Then please allow me to pay for your meal."

"Okay, we'll accept that as payment," Naruto agreed before Hinata could say no. He was starting to feel hungry. Strawberries and cucumbers just weren't as filling as ramen noodles.

"I want to offer a payment, too," said a woman who suddenly appeared through the crowd.

"_Mama_!" Kaori cried and immediately let her papa go to grab her mama. The woman was calmer than her husband, but she still held Kaori just as tightly.

"No, no, the meal is quite enough," Hinata assured her. "We really didn't do anything that anyone else wouldn't have done."

"Please, you must accept. I insist. I want to offer you a reading in payment for your kindness to my daughter."

"A reading?"

"My wife is a fortune-teller. She's the best fortune-teller in the village," Mr. Yamamoto said proudly with his arm around his wife's shoulders.

"I don't know," Hinata looked uneasily at Naruto. She didn't know how to turn this offer down, but she wasn't certain she wanted to hear anything about the future. It could lead to embarrassment if the woman was really a good fortune-teller.

"Cool," he said enthusiastically. "I've never had my fortune told before."

"We haven't much time. We really must eat and run," Hinata tried to get out of it once more.

"I can offer you a short reading while you're eating," Mrs. Yamamoto assured her.

"Well--," Hinata began reluctantly.

"Do not fear my reading," she interrupted. "I do not believe in dire readings. I believe the negative can always be overcome. Nor do I not take away your free will. My readings are merely a guide or advise for the future, I will never give you precise details. That would make your future stagnant, and futures are always fluid and capable of change. Nor will my reading have a definite time line—it is a future that may be immediate or months from now. The future reveals itself in its own way," Mrs. Yamamoto assured her. "Here take three sticks one at a time from this jar." She pulled a jar from the long pocket of her jacket and held it out to Hinata. It was filled with long, slim, flat sticks. "On each stick is written a word. These words will have importance to your future."

Hinata reached into the jar and withdrew one stick. The word _Courage_ was written at the base of the stick.

Mrs. Yamamoto studied her. "Courage. You know this word well. You have had dealings in the past. You have been afraid, but you have faced your fears. Trust in yourself. Courage builds upon courage. It will be there for you when you need it. Draw another one."

The next stick read _Strength._

"Strength. You are stronger than you know, but your greatest strength is spiritual not physical. Again you must trust in yourself. You have resources within yourself that have never been tapped. The greatest of those are courage and strength—they are a formidable combination. They will serve you well."

The third stick read _Delight_.

"Ah, what a wonderful third choice. There are so many facets to that word, all of them with wonderful promise. You are in for a treat at the end of your trials. Delight will come after your need for courage and strength has been met. It may not be immediate, but you will recognize the moment when it comes. You are a very fortunate young woman."

Hinata blushed. She knew what would make her future seem delightful, and wondered if that could really be what was meant. Now she wished Mrs. Yamamoto was a more traditional fortune-teller. Didn't they always give you a romantic future?

"My turn," Naruto announced eagerly. He didn't really get this fortune-telling stuff, but Hinata's had sounded pretty good. He wouldn't mind having something like courage and strength in his future. Those were good shinobi words.

Hinata's choices were put back into the jar and Mrs. Yamamoto mixed up the contents. When she was satisfied, she held out the jar to Naruto and he drew out his first stick which read _Clarity_.

"This means that something you didn't understand in the past is now made clear to you. You will have a greater understanding of something, someone or many things. It could reflect an entirely new way of looking at something or someone."

"Ah, what does that mean?" Naruto frowned.

"I'm sorry. I can not be more explicit," she apologized. "This understanding must come from your own awareness. Only you can do it."

The second stick read _Adventure._

"As a shinobi your entire life must be full of adventure, but this signifies a special type of adventure that you could not have anticipated. It means that you will experience something that you've never experienced before."

Again, Naruto found this confusing. Why couldn't she just come out and say what she meant? "What kind of adventure? Can't you give me a little hint? Am I on that adventure now?" This mission was different from any he'd been on before. Was that what she meant?

She shook her head. "No. This adventure is in your future. You may not even think of it as an adventure in the classic sense, but it will have its share of risks and dangers. You must face them as ably has you have every other adventure in your life. Do not fear the unknown."

The third stick read _Joy_.

Mrs. Yamamoto smiled. "How glad I am to be able to offer such good fortunes to the rescuers of my daughter. I had the feeling the two of you would allow me good readings. You are another fortunate person, young man. Once you have seen things clearly and taken a on this new adventure, joy will be your final outcome. Joy is another of those words that can mean many different things, but all are extremely favorable. It is very similar to the young lady's outcome. You both will have great happiness in your futures."

"Thank you for the reading," Hinata told her. "It was very interesting."

"Thank you for bringing my child safely back to me. Good luck on your mission."

"Yeah, thanks," said Naruto. He wasn't sure it had been very helpful. Hinata had had the better reading. He could understand words like _courage_ and _strength. Clarity_ and _adventure_ that wasn't a real adventure mystified him. Oh, well, he could use a little joy in his life. That he could appreciate.

The Yamamotos finally left them to finish their ramen noodles. The other customers had gone back to their meals or left by now. No one shared whether they would be sending an emissary to the Hidden Leaf Village or not. Neither Hinata nor Naruto wanted to ask. They especially didn't want to start another debate. When they were finished eating, they left with no fanfare. The other villagers had already forgotten them.

"What do you suppose those fortunes meant, anyway?" Naruto asked Hinata as they walked down the main street and out of the village. "Don't fortunes usually give you more information? Like whether you'll be rich or famous or something like that?"

"Charlatans will usually tell you exactly what you want to hear. I think Mrs. Yamamoto might actually be genuine."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, there are many types of fortune-telling. Some read cards, some read your palms, or the bumps in your head. Some read tea leafs, where the planets were aligned at your birth, or the meaning of your name. I've had my palms read once. It was a little more detailed than the reading we just experienced, but I don't remember if any of it was true or very useful."

"So?"

"So, I know many people have their fortunes told daily and won't make decisions without reading their fortune first. I'd usually rather just let my future happen than follow a script every day, but I don't feel that way about Mrs. Yamamoto's reading. I think I'll remember my three words even if I don't know when they'll be useful or needed." What she didn't confess was that she had sought a fortune-teller once years ago about her relationship or rather lack of relationship with Naruto. It had been a foolish, wasted expense. She'd been told that they had a future together only to have him immediately leave on a three year mission. Since then she'd mostly lost her faith in fortune-tellers.

"Clarity, Adventure, Joy. I guess that's a good fortune, but I think I like yours better, Hinata. Courage, Strength and Delight sound more useful to me."

"It all sounds good—too good. Like she said at first, she wouldn't tell us anything negative, but I bet there are bad things surrounding those fortunes," she hinted darkly.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well—why should I need courage and strength except for something bad? And your adventure may not be a good one just because it's different."

He laughed. "Hey, you make those fortunes sound a lot more interesting and a little dangerous. Not that I want bad stuff to happen, but I'd rather have excitement in my future not dull and predicable stuff."

"I guess that's the real secret of fortunes—if you want excitement and surprise—don't get your fortune told."

"I'll still be surprised after that fortune. I haven't got a clue what it means."

She giggled. "Maybe that's where the clarity comes in. You'll figure it out eventually—and it'll all be clear."

"Very funny, Miss Courageous Strength. If you figure it out give me a clue—okay?"

"Okay," she agreed only because she didn't have the heart to tell him only he could figure it out. It sounded too personal for an outsider to understand.

They left the village and turned into the woods where Hinata remembered they should from the map she'd studied with the Hokage. They'd stay in these woods for almost the rest of their journey. By early afternoon tomorrow, they would be clear of them and meet the road that would lead them into the Hidden leaf Village—if nothing else occurred to hold them up.

"Naruto, do you think the kidnapper will go after Kaori again?" That thought had been worrying her since they'd grown quiet.

He shrugged. "I don't know. I hope not." He wasn't good at predicating people's behavior.

"Should we have told them that we think the kidnappers live in the village?"

"We aren't really sure about that just because the path led there."

"Do you think the village with apply to the Hokage?"

"That's what they should do."

"Maybe we should have helped them."

"Do you want to go back?" He looked back over his shoulder at her. He'd taken the lead in their walk. It was easier making a path through the brush single file—and he'd wanted to protect her from any unexpected hazards along the way. It didn't matter that this was her mission and the mission was protecting him. He couldn't allow a woman to be his shield. He especially wouldn't allow Hinata to it. He'd never be able to handle it if something happened to her on his account.

She stopped. "I—no, we can't. I've got to get you back to our village." She started walking again.

"You know, Hinata, the Hokage probably wouldn't like us taking on a mission without her permission anyway. She can be real bitchy when things aren't done her way."

"Naruto!" Hinata couldn't help smiling even as she admonished him for his disrespect. Only Naruto could say such things and right to the Hokage's face without a qualm—and get away with it.

They'd walked into the woods only a mile when Hinata heard a sudden hiss go past her ear. In horror, she watched as Naruto only a little ahead of her, fell to the ground as an arrow forcefully slammed into the pack on his back knocking him to the ground.

"What--?" he said as he threw up his arms and fell flat on his face.

"Naruto!" Hinata cried and dropped to her knees beside him. She watched despairingly as something wet spread quickly darkening the backpack. "Naruto!" Her voice was only a croak as her throat tightened and tears filled her eyes.

Suddenly a voice shouted out from somewhere behind and above them, "Halt! Stay where you are!"


	10. First attack?

Operation: Bring home Naruto

X. First attack?

Hinata felt even the tears on her cheeks still at the threatening command in that voice. But even as her body froze her mind began to come back to life. She stared at the arrow in Naruto's back unseeing as she thought furiously.

That voice—that threatening yet nervous voice—had brought her back to her senses. What was she doing hovering helplessly over Naruto crying as if he were already dead? That wasn't blood darkening the pack on his back. It wasn't red. So whatever injury he'd suffered wasn't life-threatening. She should have noticed that immediately and not allowed her emotions to take over. Darn it, she was a shinobi! She didn't have the time or the luxury of weeping and keening over Naruto. She had to protect him—save him—now.

She stood up slowly bringing her hands together in preparation for her hand signs then turned in the direction of that voice. Using her Byakugan, she scanned the forest in front of her that hid the enemy.

He was no match for her genetic gift. She easily found one masked person up in a tree with his or her bow cocked and aimed at her and Naruto. She didn't reveal her relief at discovering only one enemy by even the slightest relaxation in either her expression or stance. This fight shouldn't be too difficult, but it wasn't over yet. She took two long and deliberate steps away from Naruto. She didn't want any arrows aimed at her to find Naruto instead.

"Don't move!" Her enemy ordered down at her. "I won't hesitate to shoot you, too."

She ignored him and began to make the hand signs for her jutsu.

Once she'd located her enemy, she'd immediately worked out her strategy. She'd decided to start with a replacement jutsu. While the archer was distracted she would circle quickly around run up the tree from behind and beneath him, and knock or pull him to the ground by his ankle. After that subduing him completely should be easy especially if archery were his strongest weapon. She'd stay too close for him to use his bow again.

Just as she'd completed the necessary hand signs for the replacement jutsu, twenty Narutos popped up in front of her jumping around to further distract the archer. _Naruto_, _you're still with me_, she thought thankfully. Without looking back which might have revealed Naruto's true state of consciousness, she took off into the woods. She could hear the hiss of arrows and shouts of the Narutos as they were picked off one by one running at the tree.

Her plan began perfectly.

The archer was still busy shooting at Narutos to notice her approach through the brush circling around behind him. Her chakra control was extremely good so she was easily able to center chakra on the soles of her feet and climb the tree quietly beneath him. She thought of the archer as a he because of his height and wide shoulders. Until proven otherwise it was easier to think of the archer as male—and safer. She wouldn't underestimate a male opponent.

It wasn't until she reached up from under the branch the archer stood on to pull his foot off the tree that her plan went slightly awry.

She couldn't budge him as quickly or easily as she'd assumed and so he became aware of her beneath him. He still couldn't fire arrows at her from where she was, but he drew out a knife and began to hack down beneath the tree limb at her. With the Byakugan, she could see his movements through the thick branch of the tree, so she had no trouble avoiding his blows.

While he hung over one side of the branch to swipe at her, she crouched and leapt up the other side jumping at him feet first from behind knocking him completely off the branch. Unfortunately, she couldn't catch her own balance and she fell right after him. She curled her body in the best position to take the fall, but she never hit the ground.

Naruto was there beneath the branch to catch her after knocking the falling archer out of the way. While Hinata had a very easy landing, the archer fell to the ground with a loud thud and groan. He lay there hardly moving atop his broken bow. His knife had fallen from his hand and bounced a few feet out of range.

"Naruto! You were hit! Are you alright?" she exclaimed as he set her lightly down beside him.

"Yeah, I'm okay. The arrow hit one of the water bottles, but didn't touch me. Damn it! I was caught off-guard. I hate when that happens," he growled. Actually, he hadn't been caught completely off guard. He'd been aware of the ambush in time to turn his back so that the arrow had hit the pack and not his shoulder which appeared to have been the target. He hadn't been able to stop the force of the arrow from knocking him down, but he'd prevented a more serious injury.

"Me, too. I didn't hear a thing behind us until it was too late," she confessed in chagrin.

She should have been more attentive. Naruto had never taken this mission as seriously as he should from the beginning, but she had no such excuse. It had always been completely crucial to her. She _should_ have been behaving as if their enemies were everywhere, and _not_ like some lovesick idiot on a casual walk in the woods. _She_ especially should never have been caught off guard. This was her mission—the most important mission she'd ever had. No matter how distracting she found Naruto's company, she should never have taken her attention away from the importance of keeping him safe. That was just illogical, careless and _stupid!_

Naruto could have been seriously hurt by that arrow—or even killed. She would never have forgiven herself anything terrible had happened to him. Never! If she had heard it in time, the least she would have done was thrown herself in front of the arrow to protect him. She would give her life for Naruto without hesitation. Giving everything to the mission was part of her nindo creed.

"What about you? He didn't cut you, did he?" Naruto demanded. He couldn't see any sign that the archer had been able to cut her with his knife. Hinata was too well-trained for a mere archer to be able to stab her—if the man was only an archer. Considering the way he lay limply moaning on the ground, he couldn't have had the kind of rigorous training a shinobi received. Neither he nor Hinata would have been more than slightly bruised after falling from a tree. They knew how to protect themselves in a fall from even greater heights than a 15 foot high tree branch.

"I'm fine. That guy's not as talented with a knife as he is a bow. Thanks for catching me."

He grinned at her. "No problem. He would have cushioned your fall—he was right under you—but I didn't want him too winded. We need some answers." The real truth was that he didn't want that guy touching her in any way even as a buffer. He couldn't be certain that the guy didn't have the ability to get up immediately from that fall and attack. He didn't want Hinata hurt or threatened in any way—and he just didn't want the guy touching her. He didn't have a good reason for his attitude. That's just the way he felt.

She looked down at the man on the ground. "How hurt do you think he is?"

"I'll find out." He bent over and hauled the archer upright by the neck of his shirt. "Sit up. You're gonna answer a few questions."

The man groaned and hung limply from Naruto's hand.

Naruto shook him. "Come on. You're not seriously hurt. Who are you? Why were you shooting arrows at us?" Naruto jerked off the man's mask.

The man didn't answer. His teeth were clenched and his lips were curled back in a grimace. His eyes were narrowed, but from pain or anger, Naruto couldn't tell. The man let his head loll back and continued to make himself a dead weight. Naruto shook him again, but still got no decent response.

"Naruto, he looks familiar," Hinata told him as she studied the man's face. "I think he was one of the customer's at the ramen restaurant."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto jerked up on the man's shirt again then dropped him heavily back to the ground. "Could this be our kidnapper?"

"That's the most likely reason for his attack," she agreed. "He doesn't seem qualified to be an assassin. He was too easy to take down." She doubted that he was one of the enemy she'd been expecting to attack Naruto, but she didn't say so aloud. She wouldn't give this man any information about their mission that he might be able to use in the future.

"Hey, is that true? Are you a kidnapper?" Naruto demanded and kicked the man in the leg to get his attention. "Unless you're dead—out with it." He added another kick.

"It's none of your business," he finally spat out.

"I'd say it was exactly our business since we're the ones you were shooting at."

The man just glared at him.

"You might as well tell us. We're not letting you go. I don't like being shot at." Naruto gave him a harder kick.

"Naruto!" Hinata finally reproached him. "You shouldn't kick him. He could be injured."

"I don't think so. He's faking it. This guy's just a coward hitting us from behind for no good reason."

That was one insult the man couldn't let pass. He burst out with his accusation. "You stole my money!"

"What money is that? Ransom money?"

"It was mine! You'd no right to it!"

"That's how you make a living—stealing children? That's sick!" he said in disgust and gave the man another hard kick. Hinata was too angry at the man's confession to protest this time.

He winced and said defensively, "I never hurt them. They always go back to their families safely."

"You left Kaori alone in the middle of the forest. How is that safe?" Hinata demanded.

"Hey, I didn't have a lot of choices. There aren't any abandoned buildings in the area. She would have been alright until I got back," he said dismissively.

"Anything could have happened while you were gone. What makes you think she would have stayed safe?"

He shrugged his shoulders and winced. "Hey, nobody ever got hurt before."

"So you do this often—kidnap kids for ransom?"

"What's it to you? You didn't take the job of finding out. You just took my money."

"We didn't take anything. We turned down the reward, you greedy fool." Naruto looked at Hinata. "I'm tired of this jerk. We know what he is now. What should we do with him? Tie him up and leave him here or take him back to the village?"

Hinata stared down at the man while she weighed her options. Tying him up might be too great a punishment if he was never found. Or it was too easy a punishment if he managed to get loose. The villagers should know what had happened. But they'd lose at least another hour by taking him back there. If only she could be as callous as this man and just leave him tied up and gagged in the forest until they had the time to deal with him a few days from now.

Why did he have to follow them? Why couldn't he have just cut his losses and run away? It was a relief to have the mystery solved so easily, but it hindered her true mission. However, she should have expected some sort of complications. She'd never been on a mission yet that had followed the script. Life just wasn't predictable no matter how well you planned your next move.

"I don't see any other acceptable choice. I think we should take him back to the village. They need to know who the kidnapper is," she said in resignation.

"Right. Let's do it," he hauled the guy to his feet. "We'll use some of that rope you're carrying to tie him up, okay?"

"Okay." She drew the rope that they'd used to climb out the hotel window from over her head. She tied the man's hands securely behind his back while Naruto held on to him. Without his bow he seemed to have no fight left in him. "Should I cut it?" she asked regretfully her hand on her kunai blade. She hated losing such a nice long, sturdy rope by cutting pieces off. Besides, she'd wanted to keep it as a souvenir of her first solo mission.

"Naw. Why don't you take the backpack and I'll hang on to the end of the rope. I don't think he'll cause any trouble, but that way I can keep him under control." He wound the long end of the rope around his shoulder and elbow leaving a few feet between himself and the kidnapper, then put the rest over his head to rest from right shoulder to left hip. He shoved the man in the back with his foot and ordered, "Get going."

Hinata put on the damp backpack while she followed behind Naruto retracing their steps back to the village. Ordinarily she would have felt a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment from the successful completion of this side mission. But the fact that it jeopardized her more important mission, left her feeling worried and tense. If this was what being a chûnin was all about, she almost wished she'd never passed the exam. She wasn't a natural leader. Having to make all these crucial decisions really sucked!

* * *

"Let's take him to the ramen restaurant. We had no trouble collecting a crowd the last time we were there," Naruto suggested as they entered the village.

"You're not hungry again, are you?" she asked with a smile.

"Naw. I just want that guy at the ramen restaurant who accused us of being kidnappers to see how wrong he was."

"Okay," she agreed. She had no problem with that. It was as good a place as any and it allowed Naruto to have his little triumph.

They had even less trouble gathering a crowd of villagers this time around. Even before reaching the restaurant they had a group of 12 villagers with them. Anyone who saw them followed along behind them whispering and pointing. Hinata recognized a few of the customers from their previous visit. She'd always been a good observer. Maybe because she always remained so quiet and unobtrusive, she had more time to observe the people and things around her than those actively participating in events.

"What? You're back already?" the man behind the counter asked as they entered the shop. "Hey, why do you have Ginta Masura with you?"

"He's tied up!"

"Why's he tied up?"

Naruto pushed the kidnapper forward, spun him around and pushed down on a stool at the counter.

"We wanted to return your kidnapper to you," Hinata told them.

"What?"

"Ginta Masura?"

"He's not a kidnapper. He's a gardener."

"Well, gardening must be his day job. He moonlights as a kidnapper," Naruto told them calmly.

"I don't get it. Ginta Masura—a kidnapper?"

"How do you know he's the kidnapper?"

"Yeah, what did he do confess?"

"As a matter of fact, he did—with an arrow in my back and a demand to have his ransom returned."

"Ginta Masura? You did that?"

"What were you thinking?"

"How could you do that to the Yamamoto's? They were worried sick."

He sat sullenly and uncomfortably on the stool squirming, fidgeting and holding down his head.

"From what he told us—it sounded like he'd done this fairly often. How long has he lived here in your village? Maybe you don't know him as well as you think," Hinata suggested.

"He's only lived here a year, right?"

"Yeah, he works as a gardener for the Yamamoto's, the Oohira's and the Watanabe's. They're the richest families in the village."

"Was a child kidnapped from either of those families?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, the Watanabe's two year old was kidnapped last month."

"There you go. You know who would have been next." Naruto began to untie their captured kidnapper. He and Hinata had done their duty. He knew she was anxious to get back on the road.

"What are you doing?"

"You can't untie him!"

"I want my rope back. He's your problem now. It's up to you to decide what to do with him. We've got to get on with our mission," Naruto said firmly. "Don't we, Hinata?"

"Yes, we do," she agreed just as firmly. "Is there someplace in the village we can buy a water bottle? This man shot an arrow in our old one."

"Buy? You don't have to buy one. I'll give you one. It's the least I can do for what you've done," the guy behind the counter told them and went into the back to get one. "You want water, too?"

"Please and thank you," Hinata said.

Naruto took the water bottle offered and put it in Hinata's backpack. He gathered up the rope and put it back over his head. When he was finished, he touched Hinata's arm and tilted his head towards the exit. She nodded, and they made their way through the parting crowd. They listened to the thanks and other comments of the villagers, but made no further contributions to the conversation.

"Thanks for all your help."

"He seemed like such a nice guy."

"And quiet. I would never have suspected him."

"Thank you for catching him."

"Yeah, thanks. We might never have caught him without you."

"I can't believe the kidnapper was from our village."

"I can't believe it was Ginta Masura."

"What are we going to do with him?"

"Lock him up for a long time."

"Yeah, but where?"

Naruto and Hinata made their escape while the villagers continued to gather in the ramen restaurant to debate the disposition of their kidnapper who'd been safely held down and retied by several helpful villagers. Nobody tried to stop them or sought their opinions in the matter. They were able to slip away without hindrance.

No one had been harmed in the crime, but it could have turned out less happily. Hinata didn't like to think about what might have happened to Kaori if Naruto hadn't found her. She might not have stayed put in that clearing. She might have gotten up and wandered off. She could have been lost, drowned, bitten by a snake, attacked by a wild animal—to name just a few of the hazards Hinata envisioned. What a thoughtless, callous man that kidnapper was! She hoped the villagers didn't just let him loose. Without a severe punishment, he certainly had no reason to leave his life of crime.

"Naruto, what do you suppose they'll do to that man?" she asked as they left the village for the second time.

"Are you worried about him?"

She shook her head. "I'm worried that they'll let him go and he'll start his kidnapping again in another village. I'm afraid a child will die the next time."

He took her hand and squeezed it. "I know, but it's not our decision. When we give our report to the Hokage, we'll describe the man and his crime. Maybe she can follow up and find out what the villagers did with him."

She gave him a grateful smile. "That's right. Our report on the mission will be on file. If he continues to kidnap children, he'll eventually be caught again. But, oh, Naruto, I don't want any children hurt. I hate thinking about how scared Kaori had been left alone in the forest."

"Don't think about it, Hinata," he told her reasonably. "Nothing bad happened to her. It's up to the villagers now. We've done everything we can do."

"Have we?" She brought her index finger to her mouth to chew thoughtfully on. "Maybe we should have stayed until they'd made a decision. We could have influenced them somehow."

"We can go back, if you want," he offered. It was her mission and her decision. But frankly, he felt they'd done everything they could do for the villagers. In fact, they'd done a lot more than most non-shinobi would have done.

Hinata hesitated, but only a moment. Naruto was leaving the major decisions up to her. She appreciated that. He could have taken over the entire mission—and she would have allowed it. At least, she would have earlier. She was beginning to appreciate the importance of being the leader of a mission. Only one person could and should make the decisions. She could tell by his lack of enthusiasm that Naruto didn't want to go back to that village, but he didn't pressure her with his opinion. He'd certainly matured in the last year—and so had she.

She reminded herself that she was on a very important mission, and couldn't be distracted until it was completed. They'd already wasted too much time at that village. She had to get Naruto back to Konoha. She couldn't take on every problem that crossed their paths. This one had been an exception because of a helpless, innocent child. But Kaori was safe now. There was really nothing more they could do for her. Naruto's safety was her most important concern now.

She stopped her nervous habit of chewing on her finger, straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. "No. You're right. The villagers need to take care of the problem themselves. We need to make up for lost time. My mission is to get you home."

"Right," he squeezed her hand again which he'd still been holding. He simply hadn't wanted to let it go, and since she hadn't protested, he'd kept it in his grasp.

"But this time, we need to be more vigilant," she told him sternly. "That guy should never have been able to get behind us without our knowing it."

"Yes, ma'am," he said meekly, but gave her a big grin.

"I need to use my Byakugan more often."

"Don't use up all your chakra. You might need it later," he warned.

"It doesn't take much chakra to use my Byakugan as long as I don't use it all the time. That _would_ be a steady drain on chakra. I'll just check things out at regular intervals." She paused while she reluctantly disengaged her hand from Naruto's. It had been nice holding his hand, but she had to behave like the chûnin in charge of this mission and not a love struck fool. "I'll take the lead. You follow me."

"Yes, ma'am," he saluted her smartly while hiding the disappointment he felt when she'd let go of his hand.

"We'll rest for a few hours at nightfall." She looked back over her shoulder at him, and ruined her moment of sharp leadership by adding, "Is that alright with you, Naruto?"

He grinned at her. That was the Hinata he knew best. Not that he didn't like the new Hinata who could lead and command and look really cute—but, he still liked better the Hinata that made him feel protective and needed. He hoped she wouldn't turn into another Tsunade or even Sakura. He wasn't fond of being ordered around, but he'd accept it willingly from Hinata as long as she wasn't always that way. In charge of a mission was one thing, but once they were back home, he wanted to rediscover the shy, sweet Hinata again. He hadn't realized how nice it was to be looked up to and admired by an attractive female. He'd certainly missed out on a lot by hanging onto his Sakura crush. What a fool he'd been!


	11. Ramen dreams

Operation: Bring home Naruto

XI. Ramen dreams

"Hey, Hinata there're some mushrooms!"

For the last few hours, Naruto's main concern had been dinner. He seemed to have forgotten the seriousness of their mission in his quest for wild edibles. He knew Hinata had brought a collapsible stew pot and dried beef, so he had his mind set on a gyūniku shichū (beef stew) of some sort. He'd never actually learned to cook so to his mind throwing a bunch of ingredients together and heating them up was all that was required of putting together a meal. He was quite experienced at heating food. That's all he ever had to do for his ramen.

Hinata couldn't find it in her heart to fault him for wanting to acquire ingredients for a good meal. He wasn't very good at denying himself a meal—and a decent one at that. He'd just scrunched up his face in a distasteful grimace when she'd suggested simply eating some of the dried beef she'd brought as their sole dinner. It wouldn't have been her chosen menu either, but she'd only been thinking of bare necessities for the journey. They could have managed without eating much at all until they reached Konoha. She'd had missions before where there'd been no place and no time to eat. But Naruto had started thinking about dinner as soon as they'd left the village the second time. So in between using her Byakugen to prevent another ambush, she helped him gather his ingredients.

"When are we making camp?" he asked after they'd picked a number of mushrooms to add to the wild rice, spinach, water chestnuts, carrots, peapods and bean sprouts he'd already found along the way.

"Since you expect a cooked meal, we'll have to stop earlier than I'd planned to gather firewood and so on," she said with a smile. "I hadn't thought to camp until nightfall."

"That's too long to wait until dinner," he protested.

"You just ate a few hours ago, Naruto," she said firmly.

"I know, but I can't wait to try cooking our dinner. Say, Hinata, how do you think our gyūniku shichū will turn out?"

"It will be good," she told him confidently. It might be more like a soup than a stew, but the salted beef would add favoring to the other ingredients. That should make it tasty enough for Naruto used to salty ramen.

"Yeah, a nice cooked meal," he said in anticipation. "Not as good as ramen, though. It would have been great to have ramen. Why can't noodles grow wild in the woods?"

She giggled. "You are so silly, Naruto."

He grinned and swung his arms up behind his head. "Yeah, a ramen bush. That would be so cool. Picking ramen noodles off a bush."

"You'd still have to cook them. I can possibly imagine at plain noodles growing on a bush, but my imagination draws the line at fried or wet noodles growing there."

"Not my imagination. I don't think I've seen them any other way. Say, Hinata, what are ramen noodles made of anyway?"

"Flour, eggs, salt, I think. I've never made noodles from scratch."

"So you can cook?"

"I was taught the basics. I can make tsumire soup, sanshoku onigri, sôki soba and ohagi just to name a few of my favorites."

"Really? Those all sound good. Mostly I just eat ramen."

"For breakfast, too?"

"Yeah. It's great for breakfast. I never get tired of ramen," he told her enthusiastically.

She shook her head and smiled. "You should eat other things, Naruto. It's not healthy to eat only ramen."

"Well, nobody ever taught me to cook. I've always had to do things on my own. Ramen's easy to make and cheap to buy. Good thing I like it so much, right?"

She laughed with him. "Maybe when we get back to the Hidden Leaf Village, I can cook you a meal—something different from ramen," she suggested tentatively.

"Really? Do you mean it?" he asked eagerly. No one had ever offered to cook for him before. He couldn't remember the last time someone had given him something homemade. He was usually treated to ramen whenever someone offered to feed him.

"Of course, I mean it. It will be nice to cook for someone other than myself for a change." And nicest yet to cook for Naruto.

"That'll be great. I'll look forward to it." He contemplated the thought of a pretty girl cooking for him for a few minutes. It was a very pleasant thought he'd like to savor later when he had more time. Right now, he was beginning to feel hungry. "Hey you never answered my question."

"Which question?"

"When are we making camp?"

She closed her eyes briefly to visualize the map.

By her calculations, they hadn't gotten nearly as far as she'd wanted to that day. However, her plan was to spend only a few hours resting that night so they should still be ahead of anyone who hadn't realized they were missing until sometime in the morning.

"We should be able to stop anytime after another hour's travel. If we can find a place near water, that would be best. There should be several streams and a few ponds in this forest that we haven't already passed." One of the reasons for choosing this forest to cross was its plethora of watering spots. If necessary they could have managed several days with just the dried beef she'd brought as long as they had water.

"Okay, but I'm getting hungry." He rubbed his stomach. Maybe he should have eaten again when they'd gone back to the village. He could easily have eaten one more bowl of ramen. Too bad they'd wanted to get away before the villagers could involve them further in their problems.

She gave him a sympathetic glance. "Why don't we look for some fruit you can eat to tide you over until we make camp."

"Yeah, fruit. That should hold me until dinner," he agreed eagerly. He enjoyed foraging for food. There was a time when he was just a genin that he hadn't been very knowledgeable about it. But after going hungry for several days during his first chûnin exam, he'd made a point of learning all he could about how to find and identify edible plants and fruits. He never planned to go that hungry again.

He was able to find plenty of wild berries on their continued journey through the vast forest. There were several raspberry and black berry bushes with plump ripe fruit hanging lushly on every branch. He even managed to pop a few playfully in Hinata's mouth whenever he found a berry bush. She hadn't complained about being hungry, but he wanted to share his plunder with her—and it was entertaining to surprise her with the treat of the lush berries. He enjoyed watching her face light with pleasure and the way the berry juice darkened her lips. He never thought about what his own must look like since he was eating the lion's share. Not only did he have a red tongue, teeth and lips, but his fingers were becoming stained with berry juice as well. He was too busy feeding himself and Hinata to notice.

His little game of feeding berries to Hinata had become more than merely entertaining to him. He had become fascinated with Hinata's mouth remembering the kisses they'd shared far too long ago. It almost seemed as if none of that had ever happened. It had all begun as an act for the enemies she thought were stalking him, but he began to wonder what kissing Hinata for real would be like. It could only be all the sweeter than his memory when it became Hinata Huyga herself kissing Naruto Uzumaki and not some made up girlfriend. That thought became a pleasant fantasy for him as they continued to walk through the forest looking for the best place to camp.

Hinata was using her Byakugan when she finally announced, "There's an abandoned building of some sort ahead. It has a well. Let's check it out. Maybe we can camp there for a few hours."

Naruto's stomach growled beating out his verbal response. "Sorry. I don't know why I'm so hungry. I've eaten enough berries to become a berry bush."

She giggled as she looked back at him. "Or a berry yourself. That's an even prettier shade of lip color you're wearing than the strawberries gave you earlier."

"Don't laugh. You're wearing the same color." He licked his lips still tasting the berries but knew that wouldn't do the trick of removing the stain. The color would wear off soon enough. Probably after he ate dinner. He'd make sure he didn't eat any more berries tomorrow before getting into Konoha. He didn't mind Hinata's teasing but he wouldn't put up with anyone else teasing him if he showed up looking as if he was wearing lipstick.

"Do I look as funny as you do?" He really did look as if someone with a very shaky hand had applied coloring to his mouth—maybe a child who couldn't yet color between the lines.

He stared at her mouth again. Funny? She didn't look in the least bit funny. "No, you look terrific. That color makes your mouth look as ripe and tasty as a berry." He thought he'd gotten tired of berries but he could think of one more almost berry he wouldn't mind tasting.

She blushed and quickly turned her head away. She'd last seen that look in her eyes yesterday when she'd been wearing her sexy red dress. She'd thought all the flirtatiousness he'd shown during their girlfriend play was just that—play for an audience. Since they'd begun their journey he'd been treating her as simply a fellow shinobi. But judging from that look, he was definitely once again seeing her as a girl. It made her heart beat quicken, her face grow warm, and her breathing shallow to find him looking at her in that same way he had when she was pretending to be his girlfriend. And it wasn't pretend now—they had no audience. It's what she'd wished for so long—_but not now_.

This was no time for romance. They had to concentrate on the seriousness of this mission. She wanted to make him understand that without discouraging him from any future romantic ideas. When they reached Konoha, she'd welcome his interest and flirtatiousness with open arms. _But not now_. So how was she to let him know that without hurting his feelings? She'd never imagined she'd be in this situation ever—saying _no_ to Naruto. But if he became more obvious she'd have to stop him, but how? What would Sakura do in this situation?

She giggled as she thought of Sakura's remedy for every offense or displeasure, real or imagined—punch him, punch him hard.

"What's so funny?'

She shook her head. She couldn't tell him what was really in her head. The complete explanation was too embarrassing. "Nothing really. I was just—ah—picturing some of the other shinobi wearing berry juice."

He grinned. He could play this game. "Like Shikamaru."

She laughed. "Or Shino."

"Or Kakashi."

"Or Master Guy."

"Or Kiba." He didn't know why he'd brought up Kiba. He didn't want Hinata thinking about the guy even if he did look ridiculous with berry juice smeared over his mouth.

"Or Sakura?" she asked along the same vein.

He was glad that she hadn't said anything like 'Kiba would look cute with berry juice.' Even if he'd never given her the opening, Sakura would have said that very thing about Sasuke in the past. She would have said that Sasuke looked cute even with a bald head. Now he was beginning to wonder if Hinata thought of Kiba that same way. Maybe every girl that interested him was really interested in some other guy. Why did he have to torture himself with those kinds of thoughts?

He shook his head. "Naw, Sakura wouldn't look funny. You don't look funny. Girls aren't funny wearing berry juice. It just looks like lipstick. Only a guy would look funny."

"Like Choji."

He grinned again. "Yeah, or the perverted hermit, Jiraiya. I think he'd look the funniest."

She laughed. "You know, I'm never going to be able to look at any of those guys again without picturing them in lipstick."

He grinned. "Me either. Are you always going to picture me wearing berry juice, too?"

She quickly turned her head away from him. She had many pictures of Naruto in her memories. Berry juiced Naruto would not be one of the prominent ones—but he did look cute and funny. "No. Look, it's an abandoned shrine," she said quickly changing the subject.

They'd finally reached the building she'd seen with her Byakugan. They circled around to get a good look at the spot.

"There's not much left of it. No roof, partial walls, overgrown inside. The arch is the only thing intact." Naruto kicked around the outside. "I bet there're snakes inside."

"Yuck! We'll camp somewhere outside," she announced. "It's the well I'm interested in. From what I can tell, the water looks fine. Let's draw some out and see."

There was a wooden bucket tied to a rope sitting beside the well. "This bucket's in a lot better condition than the shrine. Why's that do you think?." After examining it, he dropped it down in the well. Once it sank into the water at the bottom of the well, he began to draw it back up.

"Maybe someone still uses the well so they replaced the bucket. What's the water look like?"

He peered into the bucket. "I dunno. Water."

She smiled and nudged his arm. "Silly. Does it have a smell?"

Naruto sniffed it. "Nothing different from any other water I've smelled."

"Let's taste it."

He held Hinata off. "Wait! I'll do it."

She put her hands on her hips reminiscent of every other female who'd ever had dealings with him. "Naruto! What if it's poisoned or tainted? I don't want you getting sick."

He stuck out his lower lips stubbornly. "I don't want you getting sick either."

They were at a stand off until Naruto came up with a solution. "I know. I'll summon a toad. Maybe he'll be able to tell if the water's any good."

Naruto drew blood from his thumb and performed his toad summoning jutsu. He'd gotten better and better at this over the years and no longer required the nine-tailed fox's chakra to bring forth a formidable toad if necessary. It was only when summoning Gama Bunta that he needed every bit of chakra he could achieve. On this occasion he only required a larger than normal toad.

"Hey, Gamakichi, long time no see," Naruto greeted him.

"Hey, Naruto, what's up? It isn't my dad you really want—is it?"

"Naw, this is a job I hope you can handle. Can you tell if this water is okay to drink?" He held the bucket out.

"Sure," Gamakichi said and jumped into the bucket. After a few seconds he popped his head up. "Come on in. The water's fine."

"Great. Thank a lot."

"You're welcome. Got time to play?"

"Not just now, Gamakichi. I'll call you when I've got some time. Okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Naruto." The toad popped back to where he came from. Naruto poured the water out on the ground. He'd rather not drink toad bath water. He'd draw some fresh when they needed it.

Hinata was relieved. She wished she had a summoning jutsu. It seemed to be very handy even outside of battle. "I'll look for a good site to make camp nearby. You gather wood for the fire, okay?"

"Sounds good. I can't wait to get that stew started."

There was a nice shady tree near the shrine's well that wasn't as overgrown as most of the area around the area. Hinata collected big stones to surround the shallow hole she dug for their campfire. She gathered some small twigs and sticks to pile in the hole. Then she struck two pieces of flint together to start the fire. By the time Naruto returned to camp with his armful of larger branches she had two forked sticks firmly staked on either side of the fire. When Naruto brought over her cooking pot partially filled with water she hung it on another stick and laid it between the two upright forked sticks to hang over the fire.

Naruto drew all his vegetables out of the backpack and started to dump them all together into the pot when Hinata threw her arm out between him and the fire to stop him.

"What?" he asked impatiently.

"That's not how you cook a proper meal. First wash them all off. Believe me, the stew will taste much better without clumps of earth mixed in."

"Oh, right. That makes sense." He went over to the well and filled the bucket. The rope attached was long enough to reach their campfire so he brought the bucket to the vegetables. He rinsed each one off and laid them on the backpack so they wouldn't pick up any more dirt. When he was finished, he held his hands over the vegetables ready to scoop them up and looked at Hinata. "Now?"

She shook her head and told him firmly, "No. First we wait for the water to boil."

He relaxed his hands, sat back on his heels and stared at the pot.

Hinata laughed. "Haven't you heard the express _A watched pot never boils_?"

"Unh?"

"It will seem to take forever to boil if you just watch it. Why don't you cut the beef and then the vegetables into smaller pieces while you wait? We're going to put the beef in the pot first. Since it's been dried it will take longer to soften. And we want it to flavor the water before we add the vegetables. Here I washed this flat stone. You can use it as a cutting board."

Naruto started cutting the beef. "Why can't we just put everything in together?"

"Some of those vegetables take longer to cook than others. After we let the beef simmer for awhile we'll add the carrots, water chestnuts and peapods. They take longer to cook than the other vegetables. Then we'll add the rice. Then the mushrooms and the other vegetables. We don't want the spinach and bean sprouts to be too soggy from over cooking or the carrots, water chestnuts and peapods to be too hard from undercooking."

He was impressed. "Wow. You really know what you're doing. This'll be the best gyūniku shichū ever."

"I hope so, but I'm no expert. I'm just using other recipes I've followed in the past as a guide."

"You're my sensei as far as cooking goes. Maybe I should learn to cook. You could teach me."

"I really only know the basics, Naruto. My family has a wonderful cook. Maybe you could find someone more professional to teach you."

"I only need the basics. I'm never home long enough to do that much cooking."

"Are you telling me you plan to give up your ramen for a wider range of dishes?" she teased.

"I'll never give ramen up completely, but I wouldn't mind trying other things on my own. Come on, Hinata, say yes," he coaxed.

She smiled at his wheedling tone. "We'll see when we get back to Konoha. Neither one of us may have the time if the Hokage puts us back to work right away."

"That's a promise. I'll hold you to it. Hey, the water's boiling! Can I put in the beef?"

"Yes, but be careful. Don't splash the water or you'll get burnt," she instructed.

Even at 18, Naruto was sometimes like a big kid. In anyone else she might find that irritating, but in Naruto she found it endearing. It was that mixture of man and boy that, also made him exciting. She'd admired, pitied, and yearned for the boy. Now working so closely with him, she was finding herself falling more hopelessly in love with the man. Would any good come of that or would it just end in heartache? Could Naruto ever feel the same way about her?

She didn't care, she thought recklessly. She would be as close to Naruto as she could for as long as she could and to hell with the consequences. That was in the future. She'd take whatever she could get right here and now. She just wanted to be with Naruto for as long as he wanted her to be in whatever capacity he wanted her—whether friend or girlfriend. She could only hope that their time alone together would lead to a future relationship. He seemed to be leaning a little that way. She just wanted him to hold off on a more complete lean until she had him safely back at Konoha. She couldn't afford a serious distraction of that nature at this time. She had to be vigilant in order to protect him properly.

In the meantime, she told herself to simply enjoy his company, his laughter and his strength without seeking any further claim. She'd been doing that for years already. Surely, she could handle one more day of the same?


	12. Haunted shrine

Operation: Bring home Naruto

XII. Haunted shrine

"Man, that gyūniku shichū was too good," Naruto groaned as he lay on the ground with his hand on his stomach. "Even if I do say so myself."

Hinata smiled indulgently at him as she cleaned out her collapsible pot. "You did a fine job cooking, Naruto."

He lay there watching her efficient movements. He enjoyed watching her. He could picture her in a kitchen cooking for him just as she'd promised. He really liked that idea. "You know I couldn't have done it without your help, Hinata. I didn't have a clue when to cook what."

"Your have good instincts, Naruto" she assured him. "You'd have managed by yourself."

He disagreed with her on that. He had no instincts for food. He'd made a few serious eating mistakes when he was young—like not reading expiration dates on dairy products. Unfortunately as far as cooking was concerned he really only learned by experience—and his experience was pretty much limited to ramen. "I don't think so. All I have going for me is that I like to eat. Liking to eat and fixing food the way I like it are two different things."

"I think enjoying food is the first step to acquiring cooking skills. Someday even _you_ may get tired of ramen," she teased shyly.

He grinned and put his arms behind his head. "I can't imagine that day. I'm a pretty loyal guy."

She giggled. "I'm sure the ramen appreciates that."

He tilted his head watching her as she stowed her utensils away in the backpack. "I'm loyal in lots of other ways, too."

"I know. That's what makes you a good shinobi," she praised him.

He felt his chest swell at her admiring tone. She was really great for his ego. Why hadn't he ever noticed that before? "I don't just mean my job."

"Konoha is lucky to have a shinobi like you. I've always admired your loyalty to the village."

"Thanks, Hinata." He didn't know what else to say to that. She was making his face turn red with her praise. "I can be loyal to people, too."

"You're a good friend," she agreed. She kept herself busy and her eyes away from Naruto. She wouldn't have the boldness to speak of her admiration if she were looking straight at him. It was still only a hint of everything she felt for him, but she wanted him to know. She wanted him to begin to realize how much she valued him.

That wasn't what he wanted to get across to her. He gritted his teeth in frustration. "That's not what I mean. Hinata, I—ah—I—" He scratched his head. He was no good at talking seriously to girls. He had no practice. Whenever he'd said anything in the least bit nice to Sakura, she'd just punched him.

All these years even though he'd been loyal to his crush on Sakura, he'd known deep down that she would never have looked at him as more than a friend. Now he was able to accept that and move on. Hinata thought he still liked Sakura, but he owed Sakura nothing more. He knew he was ready to place his hopes and affections on another girl. He wasn't comfortable just coming out with it. How could he subtly let Hinata know of his interest in her? "I think you're a good shinobi, too—and loyal—and pretty," he continued lamely. He really meant so much more, but he felt awkward saying it.

It was growing dark, so she hoped he wouldn't see her blush. What he told her was very very nice to hear, but things were getting a little too serious for this time and place. She had to push forward the needs of her mission and not her own desires. "Thank you for your kind words, Naruto, but you need to get some sleep," she told him firmly. "I'll take the first watch. I'll wake you in a few hours and take my turn."

He sighed, withdrew his arms from behind his head then yawned. "Sure. I guess I am tired. It's been a long day."

"I know, but we're almost at our destination." She added some branches to the fire. "I'll keep the fire going. It'll provide a little warmth and keep me awake. Good night, Naruto. Sleep well."

He slowly closed his eyes. His last conscious sight was of Hinata crouching over the fire stoking it with more of the branches he'd gathered earlier. "'Night, Hinata," he mumbled. His breathing deepened almost immediately.

Hinata moved back to sit against the tree near Naruto. It was the best sheltered spot in the little clearing she told herself to justify her need to be near him. Her feelings of protectiveness were better served if she could reach out and touch him if necessary. Sitting across from him over the fire was simply too far away.

She drew up her knees and hugged them to her chest staring into the fire. She felt completely exhausted, but she had to stay awake and on guard while Naruto slept. It would only be a few hours then she could take her rest. By midnight they should be on their way again. By noon they should reach Konoha. She'd planned with the Hokage to arrive a few hours earlier than that, but they were still very close to the original goal. That in itself was incredible after all the extra things they'd done that day. And she still felt they had to be ahead of the enemy.

Her eyelids dropped down over her eyes for a second. She jerked herself awake, and vigorously shook her head. She looked up at the sky. The stars and the moon were still in the same place so she hadn't actually fallen asleep. She had to keep herself awake. She used her Byakugen to check out the forest around them. There was nothing unusual moving about. She relaxed back against the tree and glanced down at Naruto.

He was breathing heavily close beside her. He'd turned from his back to his side facing her, his head resting on his arm. He'd fallen instantly asleep when she'd told him to. She was pleased that he hadn't argued about taking first watch. Either he trusted her decisions or he must have been more tired than she was. She hoped it was the former. As ninja they were trained to catch their sleep where they could, but this was the first lengthy mission she'd had when there was little time for sleep and not enough teammates to stand watch.

Her eyelids closed down a second time for a little longer before she jerked herself awake again. Hastily, she checked the night sky and relaxed again when nothing had changed. Part of her shinobi training was to be able to tell the passing of time by the movement of the heavens. She knew where the stars and moon should be in the sky when it was time to waken Naruto. There was still a long way to go.

Maybe she should stand up and walk around, but she didn't want to disturb Naruto. He needed his two hours sleep uninterrupted. She rubbed her eyes, shook her head vigorously, clenched and released her shoulders. She should think about something that would keep her awake. What could she think about that would do that?

The only thing that came to mind was Naruto. She glanced down at him. In sleep his face looked young and defenseless. She knew an urge to touch him—brush the hair out of his eyes or smooth down his jacket to be certain it covered him better. But she resisted it. If he woke, she'd be totally embarrassed.

Instead, she thought back over this amazing mission. She had some wonderful memories to treasure. She pulled them out one by one to remember beginning with their first kiss at the train station. She blushed once she thought of it and even now it almost felt as if it had happened in a dream. In a dream.

* * *

She swore she'd only closed her eyes again for a second, but when she opened them even without looking at the sky she knew something in the night had changed. The real clue was the girl about her age now crouched in front of her, staring closely into her face.

Hinata drew back startled. "Who are you? What are you doing? How long have you been here?"

The girl straightened up and sat down carefully between Hinata and the fire, folding her legs beneath her white kimono. She slid her hands into the long sleeves on opposite sides hiding them from view. Her posture was straight and still like a statue. "I have come to visit you. My name is Tsubaki. May I ask yours?" she inquired politely.

"Hinata." She closed and rubbed her eyes. Was she hallucinating or dreaming this strange girl? When she opened them again the girl was still there staring intently at her with large, dark eyes in a white peaked face.

"Hinata," she repeated. "Sunshine. That is a very pretty name, Hinata. It has been a long time since I have seen the sunshine."

"Ah—thank you. Your name is very nice, too. I like camillas," she added lamely. What did one say to a ghost or hallucination—especially one so polite and formal?

She continued to stare intently at Hinata. "Is he your husband?" she asked pointing, but not looking at Naruto. "What is his name?"

"What?!" she blurted out too loudly. She glanced hastily to see if she'd wakened Naruto, but he lay on his back in oblivious slumber. "No. No, he's my—my friend," she said in a lower voice. "His name is Naruto."

Tsubaki looked at him consideringly. "He is a noisy sleeper."

"He's very tired," Hinata apologized. "Besides a person does tend to snore when sleeping on his back."

"You are tired, too."

She nodded her head. "Yes, I am, but I'm keeping first watch while he sleeps."

Tsubaki shook her head. "You are asleep, too."

"What? What do you mean? I'm awake. You're a ghost or hallucination. I'm talking to you. I must be awake."

Tsubaki continued to shake her head. "I am a spirit, but I am also in your dream."

"I can't be asleep. I've got to guard Naruto." Her voice began to raise again as she felt the panic of being out of control. She couldn't be asleep. If she slept then Naruto was unprotected. She couldn't leave him unprotected.

"Do not worry. There is nothing to harm you just now. I will let you awake if there is," the girl assured her.

"You'll let me? Does that mean you're keeping me asleep?"

"No. You are really sleeping on your own, but I do not want you to awake yet. It has been so long since I have had someone to talk to. I do not want you to go."

"I must protect Naruto. His life may be in danger," she said anxiously.

"There is no danger here just now."

"How do you know?"

"This is my place. I know who is near, and their intentions."

Hinata considered this and asked, "Do you promise to wake me if we're in danger or if I ask you to?"

"Of course. I do not wish you ill."

"Okay, then I'll talk to you for a little while."

"I thank you, Hinata. Have you been traveling long?"

"Yes. Without rest for a night and day until now. We're trying to get home as soon as possible. There's someone—." She paused thinking how to describe their unknown enemy and settled for something simple, "bad after Naruto."

"There is someone bad after him—your friend?" She tilted her head towards the totally unconscious form beside Hinata.

"Yes."

"Do you seek safety sleeping near my shrine?"

"Your shrine?" Hinata looked over at it. She was amazed to see the shrine whole and lighted. Why hadn't she noticed that when she'd opened her eyes? But actually she may have noticed the change in light. She'd thought something seemed different when she'd opened her eyes, but Tsubaki's face in her's had completely engaged her senses from anything else.

"To be accurate the shrine is really that of Amaterasu Ōmikami. I am the priestess of her shrine."

Hinata suddenly noticed the archaic style of the kimono the girl wore and the old-fashioned way she wore her hair. "You seem very young to be a priestess."

She inclined her head. "I was nineteen when I died."

"When you died?" she asked startled. She didn't know why she should be surprised. She knew that Tsubaki couldn't be real. "You are truly a ghost?"

"In a way. My spirit remains within the boundaries of my shrine. I cannot be seen or felt outside of dreams. My spirit is too weak to manifest in any other way. When the living are conscious they pay no attention to me."

A spirit! She was conversing with a spirit. The information didn't frighten her. In fact, she found this entire episode enthralling. Nothing this strange had ever happened to her before. "Nineteen was young to die. I'm not quite nineteen yet. I lead a more dangerous life than you probably did, but I can't image dying so young."

"What do you do that is so dangerous?"

"I'm a shinobi."

"You fight?"

"Yes, when necessary. I'm trained to do so."

"I envy you. It must be very exciting. My life was never exciting. My death was a choice. I wanted to die. I willed myself to die."

"Why?" Ordinarily she didn't pry curiously into the activities of the people around her. She was usually too shy, but for some reason Hinata felt compelled to ask questions of this girl.

"I was in love with the most handsome and bravest warrior. He was much better looking than your friend, and I am certain had many more enemies."

"What do you mean?" Hinata was indignant on Naruto's behalf. "Naruto is very good-looking. He has the bluest eyes, the sunniest colored-hair, and the most endearing smile. You aren't seeing him at his best, but you would think him very handsome if he were awake." She looked fondly down at him for a moment, before turning a displaced face to Tsubaki.

"I apologize if I offended either you or your companion. I think he must mean more to you than just as a friend. You defend him so fiercely."

Hinata looked hastily down at Naruto again to be certain he was still sleeping—and he was like a baby. He was still on his back with his arms spread out and his mouth open. He looked so vulnerable and defenseless—and cute. She wanted to hug him. Instead, she shifted a little closer to him and turned her head back to Tsubaki. "I won't lie to you. I like him very much—if that's what you mean. Please don't say mean things about him again."

"As you wish. But allow me my own partiality. I still say he is not as handsome as Uryu, my warrior. No one could be. He had hair the color of a raven's wing, and eyes as green as the mossy rocks at the bottom of a rippling brook. He was big and tall and strong. I had never met anyone like him before," she sighed.

"How did you meet him?"

"He sought refuge at my shrine after he was wounded in battle. He was the only survivor of the battle. I nursed him back to health myself. I would not allow any of the servants to touch him."

"But you were a priestess. You shouldn't have fallen in love with anyone."

"I know. It was very wrong, but I had never wanted to be a priestess. My parents had been very poor, and I had been sold to the shrine when I was only nine. The old priestess there had wanted to train me to be her successor. It was not what I had wanted of my life," she told her tale with a melancholy air.

"What did you want?"

"What I imagine every young girl would want—love, marriage and a family. It was so lonely being a priestess in a shrine far away from everyone. Hardly anyone ever stopped by the shrine we were so far into the woods. It even took my servants two days to reach the nearest village to shop. I was so lonely."

"What happened when he was well? Why didn't he stay with you?"

"He told me he had to return to battle. He was needed. But he swore that when the war was over he would come back to me."

"And he never did?"

She shook her head solemnly. "No, he never did."

"How long did you wait for him?"

"I was 16 when we met. I waited until my 19th birthday and then I died."

"And you never found out what happened to him?"

She shook her head. "No. I have been here at this shrine for a very long time as a spirit. He has never returned even as an old man."

"Maybe he died in battle?"

Tsubaki grimaced. "Do you see my dilemma? Do I wish he lived happily without me or that he died in battle? One wish makes me feel disconsolate and the other guilty."

"I'm sorry," Hinata sympathized, but she knew that for herself she would rather Naruto be happy with someone else than dead. "It's a sad situation. Would you rest in peace if you knew the answer?"

"I don't know if I would rest, but I would find some peace in the knowing."

Hinata wondered if she could find out anything about Tsubaki's warrior after all this time. "Where did he come from? This country?"

"This country, but I do not know from what village. He said it was closer to the mountains."

"What was his full name?"

"Uryu Fujishima. Why do ask me these questions?"

"I thought if I had the chance I would look for your warrior's family if they still exist. If I ever found out anything I could come back here to let you know."

Her big, dark eyes widened even more. "Would you really do that for me?"

Hinata nodded her head. "Yes. I am curious about your warrior. If I can help you find peace, I promise I will."

"Thank you so much. No one has ever made such an offer to me before. No one has ever listened to me as you have. I wish to give you a present."

"No, no. Really. It's okay. You don't have to give me anything. I may not even be able to help you."

"That does not matter. The offer itself is enough. I will help you." The girl closed her eyes and sat still and silent for a few moments. Hinata watched patiently until Tsubaki's eyes suddenly flew open.

"It is true what you told me. There are some bad people after you."

"What? You can see them? Who are they? Where are they?" she asked eagerly.

"I do not know who they are. Three are near. Four and one are farther away."

"Eight? There are eight people after us?" Could they take on eight trained fighters? Grouped in the manner Tsubaki had mentioned they definitely could, but eight altogether would be tough.

"They all have a bad aura, but it is the one who is most dangerous."

"One is most dangerous?"

"_The_ one. There is one who is alone. He has great skill and a deadly poison."

Hinata nodded. "Poison. I'll be careful."

"I will help you." She pulled her right hand from within her left sleeve and held out a vial. "Take this."

Hinata held out her hand and accepted the small vial from Tsubaki. "What is it?"

"It is an antidote to the one's poison."

"How can you possibly give this to me?"

"It is in my power to give you this. It is impossible to explain."

Hinata fingered the small vial. "Is there enough in here for both Naruto and myself?"

"No. This is for you. He will not need it."

"I must protect him. If this antidote can save him—"

"No. He does not need protection from this poison. He has that within him that will protect him. You do not have his resources. This antidote is for you. If you wish to survive your fight to be with him, you alone must take this antidote."

"When should I take it?"

"It will do you no good until you have the poison in your body. You will know when to take it."

Hinata put the vial in her pocket. She wondered if it would be there when she awoke. It would surprise her very much it was. This was a dream after all.

"I must leave now. But I wish to apologize to you."

"Apologize? Why?"

"Time moves differently in dreams. I am afraid I have taken up all of your night. Farewell, Hinata. Thank you for your company." Suddenly, she was gone.

Hinata opened her eyes not aware that she had closed them to find the stars had traveled considerably across the heavens and the sky was the dingy gray of predawn.


	13. Three fools

Operation: Bring home Naruto

XIII. Three fools

In dismay Hinata turned to the prone figure still sleeping peacefully beside her. "Naruto, wake up!" she urged softly as she gently shook his shoulder. Even in her need for haste, she couldn't shock him awake by treating him too roughly.

"Is it time for my shift?" he asked sleepily.

"I fell asleep. I couldn't help it. It's dawn," she told him apologetically.

That news seemed to have no immediate impact on him. He was still half asleep. "Hinata, I had the weirdest dream." He closed his eyes again to visualize it again.

She shook his shoulder again a little more forcefully. "I'm sorry, Naruto. There's no time for that. Please hurry. We've got to get ready and go."

"Right. Get ready. Leave," he agreed readily and sat up rubbing his eyes.

Assured that he was functioning as he should, she sprang to her feet. "I'll be right back," she said hastily and ran off into the brush for privacy leaving Naruto to deal with his own needs after their uninterrupted night of sleep. Despite a long night apparently spent dreaming, she felt very well rested and energetic. Perhaps their sleep had been necessary to renew their energy—energy they would need before reaching the village if her dream could be believed.

Naruto stood up, stretched and scratched his head. He too was very well rested despite the weird dream he felt he'd dreamt all night. Unlike most of his dreams which he tended to forget before he even left his bed in the morning, this one was so vivid he felt sure he'd remember it for a long time. And he'd be sure to tell Hinata later since she had a featured part in it. She should find that interesting, and maybe she'd have some insight in explaining it to him. He usually had a featured role in his dreams, but this time he dreamt that he was asleep and Hinata was the dream's central figure—along with a strange girl he'd never seen before. Watching himself sleep had been really weird. He wondered what Hinata would make of it.

Still thinking about the dream, he went off in the opposite direction of Hinata to do his own thing in the brush.

After he completed his morning ritual, he went over to the well to wait for her. He was in the process of drawing out a bucket of water when she returned.

"I don't suppose we have time to eat anything? We do have some leftover vegetables," he asked pretty much knowing the answer.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I don't think we should take any more time than necessary. You'll just have to fill up on water for now. Oh, and chew on some dried beef. We've got plenty of that left, too."

He shrugged, "Okay." He'd eaten a lot last night. He probably wouldn't feel really hungry for a few hours. Dried beef wasn't his favorite snack. Maybe he'd get lucky and find some interesting food along the way. When you knew what to look for, almost any plant had some nutritional properties—although they didn't all taste good.

He set the filled bucket on the edge of the well between them.

They shared the bucket of water splashing their faces, brushing their teeth, and drinking some water in preparation for another long day's walk. They'd filled their water bottles the night before so it didn't take long for them to prepare for the last leg of their journey.

The sun was just breaking the horizon, when they were ready to leave. As Naruto picked up the backpack and Hinata her length of rope, they both turned sharply as they heard the sound of a branch breaking behind them. Hinata mentally castigated herself for once again being lax in using her bloodline trait. She'd been so flustered from oversleeping and rushed in getting ready to leave she hadn't taken the proper precautions in checking out the area. However that wasn't the only reason she'd forgotten. She could attribute part of her lapse to the strange sense of safety she'd felt from the dream she'd had last night—almost as if the dream had protected them. That feeling had been slow to disappear. In fact, it seemed to have been so much a part of the night that the feeling of safety had only faded away completely with the dark.

Grimly, she studied the threat before her determined to make up for her mistake. Remembering her dream, she realized that here was the first of the three threats Tsubaki had warned her of—the least of the threats ahead of them.

Three scrawny scruffy looking men walked into the clearing around the well no longer trying to keep quiet. They each held a knife fisted in their right hands. Naruto observed their cautious progress until they halted fifty feet from the well where he and Hinata stood.

None of them held their weapons very professionally. Each of them had their own version of menacing display, but they seemed more interested in twisting and twirling their knives as if to prove how dangerous they were and not as if they were skilled at using them. He had no doubts that they meant business with their weapons and lesser skilled prey would be cowed by their suggested threats. However, he saw through their bluster and menace concluding that they weren't trained fighters and probably had no subtly in using their weapons. They'd be direct and broad in their attacks—easy to anticipate and easy to subdue. So the tension he'd first felt when turning dissipated quickly. These guys were no real threat to either himself or Hinata.

A glance at Hinata confirmed that she had drawn the same observations and conclusions. He kept still and waited for them to make the first move knowing Hinata would do the same. That was an intrinsic part of shinobi training: observe your enemy's stance, approach and style so you could anticipate their attacks.

"They're using our well," the one on the right spoke first.

"That'll cost 'em," said the one on the left.

"You didn't ask our permission to drink our water," the one in the middle finally addressed Naruto directly. He may have been the leader of the trio, but actually the three were interchangeable with their dirty, overgrown hair and beards and their brown, dirty clothing.

Naruto crossed his arms and leaned back against the well. "What makes this your well?"

"Because we say so," the right one scowled and raised his knife menacingly.

"Yeah, we say so," the one of the left growled his agreement raising his knife, too.

The middle one slapped the flat of his knife a few times loudly on the palm of his left hand then took over the demands establishing him fully as the leader of the group. He scowled and growled his message, "If we say it's our well, it's our well, boy."

Naruto shook his head. "I don't believe this well belongs to you. The water tastes too good to belong to three ugly guys like you."

As he expected, his remarks didn't go over very well. However, despite the bluster the three threatening men hadn't made a direct move on himself or Hinata yet.

"Oh yeah? You ain't too pretty yourself, boy."

"And we can make you even uglier if you don't do as we say."

"You'd better listen to my friends here. Now why don't you apologize before we have us a little carving practice on your face."

"Okay," Naruto agreed pleasantly. "Sorry you're so ugly."

The three took a step forward and stopped.

"Think you're smart, don't you?"

"You're gonna be sorry for that."

"Make it easy on yourself, smart boy. Pay up."

Naruto shook his head again. "I don't think so." He found it interesting that these guys weren't already making good on their threats. He supposed they just hadn't figured out yet that their scare tactics weren't working—or maybe his own tactics were confusing them. He had to admit that he found it amusing to bait them.

The three exchanged looks, and returned to their primary goal with more scowls, waving of their knives and stiffening of their stance.

"Don't matter what you think. We'll do what we want."

"Yeah, we say you owe us for the water."

"Damn right. So pay up. You and your little girlfriend can hand over that backpack and turn out your pockets."

"That's pretty expensive water," Naruto said thoughtfully. "Why don't I just return it?" he suggested pleasantly then spat heavily on ground near their feet.

The one on the right made a move towards Naruto, but the middle one held him back. This time they spoke out of their usual order. "I don't think I like your attitude, smart ass. We got three knives here that say you're gonna pay."

"Yeah, you ain't got no choice."

The angriest one said, "And maybe we'll just take your little girlfriend, too. She don't look like she's worth much, but you owe us big time now."

Naruto grinned. "My _girlfriend's_ worth much more than you guys can even imagine. She would definitely object to that."

"What if she does? What's she gonna do about it?" He shared a grin with his companions.

Naruto glanced over at Hinata. She'd dropped the rope, and had her hands free ready to fight. She had studied the trio with her Byakugan and thought they could be taken down even more quickly than she'd first surmised. They had very little chakra. She looked back at him and gave him a brief nod and a slight smile.

"You want to know what she's gonna do about it? Well, I'll tell you so you won't be surprised. She's gonna take the three of you down before you even know what hit you. What do you think about that?"

They laughed all three studying the small, slight girl with the strange eyes standing beside Naruto. She didn't look strong enough to carry their backpack let alone best the three of them with their sharp knives. "You're gonna let your girlfriend do the fighting for you? What a coward."

"Yeah. When we're done with her, we'll kick your ass all around this old shrine."

"That's right. So don't try to run. We'll catch up to you easy, smart ass."

Naruto shook his head. He stretched his legs out crossing them at the ankles and sat back even more comfortably on the edge of the well. "She doesn't need my help fighting you. She can take care of herself, me and anyone else she wants to. You threatened her not me—although I have to admit I don't like being called a coward."

"Well, what are you gonna do about it, smart ass?"

"When you see what we do to your girlfriend you won't find this so funny."

"Yeah, sit back and laugh. Your turn's comin'."

"Is that so?" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tell you what I'll do. Once she's finished with you—if there's anything left—I'll be glad to add a few licks of my own. After that you can let me know if you want to take back that coward insult."

They laughed again. "Yeah, right."

"You're all talk, smart ass."

"Yeah. What're you gonna do for the three seconds it takes to beat up your girlfriend? It won't even be long enough for a prayer."

"You're the ones who'll need some prayers. I'm going to sit right here and enjoy the show. _Sweetie_," he turned his head to Hinata and warned, "Don't take too long, we've got to be on our way home."

"I'm tired of this braggart. He's mine," the middle one snarled suddenly and lunged towards Naruto.

Hinata blocked his forward momentum. She grabbed his wrist with the knife forcing him to open his fist and drop the knife then she kicked him in the crotch with her knee, and threw him into the guy at the right. The force she'd used sent them slamming into a tree. Her movements were smooth, precise and graceful—almost like a ballet. Neither outlaw knew what hit them.

She kicked the fallen knife out of the way towards the well. While the first two grappled on the ground to recover themselves, she turned to the one still standing as he raised his knife and rushed forward to stab her. He was the smallest of the three and therefore could probably be the best fighter. She was prepared to attack him even more forcefully.

She moved into him chopping his wrist and his neck. Stepping on his foot, she kicked him in the crotch, too. She'd found that the most effective area of a man's body to quickly immobilize him. He dropped his knife, and fell to his knees. She kicked him again, this time under the chin sending him sprawling backwards. She kicked his knife towards the well to join the other one. Two disarmed and one to go.

She turned to face the two who had finally scrambled to their feet.

As they came at her, she jumped into the air kicking the one with the remaining knife under the chin. She chopped the other in his windpipe and then the side of his neck damaging the flow of blood to his brain. They both went down again heavily. She stepped on the wrist of the one with the remaining knife breaking his grip, and kicked that knife away to join the others.

She stood back and watched them moaning on the ground. They weren't in the best of shape, had virtually no fighting skills, and were ridiculously easy to subdue. She almost felt guilty having beaten them so easily, but only almost. If she and Naruto had been as defenseless as these outlaws had anticipated, she knew they'd have had no mercy on them.

She stepped out of range of the three on the ground and looked back at Naruto. "I don't see anyone else in the vicinity. These guys must be it."

He leisurely moved off the well and sauntered over with the rope she' been prepared to carry all the way back to Konoha and hang on her wall as a memento and decoration.

"That was nice fighting, Hinata. I knew you could handle them by yourself." As he'd watched her, he hadn't had a moment's doubt that she could handle the situation. He'd seen her in action before—and these guys hadn't even caused her to break a sweat. He even felt some pride that she hadn't needed his help. She'd become a very strong shinobi. He liked that he could count on her in a tight spot. Even with his limited experience he'd found that completely helpless girls could be irritating especially when they needed continuous rescue. All of the kunoichi he knew had developed into strong, dependable shinobi.

"And if I couldn't?"

"Don't worry. I had your back. Those guys were nothing," he said dismissively. "They weren't even smart enough to recognize shinobi headbands when they saw them. If they'd just left us alone we would have been gone without even realizing they were here."

"They're operating awfully close to Konoha. I'm surprised they haven't been captured by now."

"Maybe they're new to the area. Not everyone knows there's a ninja village near here or exactly where it is. Hopefully, they haven't had the time to do too much damage to the Fire Country's inhabitants."

She looked back at the three still moaning on the ground. "What should we do with them?"

"Tie them up. We can't take them with us and we don't want them to get away."

"We can send someone from the Village to pick them up when we get home. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a reward on their heads? This can't have been the first time they tried to rob someone," she agreed. "Maybe they're wanted in another country."

"I doubt it's their first time. They had their little trio act down too well." He walked over to pick up the rope she'd left by the well.

"I knew we'd have to use this rope eventually," she said regretfully.

"Why are you so attached to it?" he asked curiously.

She shrugged. "I don't know. The Fifth gave it to me. I just wanted to hang on to it." It would have been her only souvenir of this special mission.

"Sorry. I'm going to have to cut it up. I don't want these guys too close together. They might find some way to untie each other." He took out a kunai blade. "I'll only have to use half of it."

"Its okay, Naruto. Do what you have to."

"I'll get you another one when we get home," he promised. Besides the bracelet he'd bought for Sakura that would only be the second gift he'd ever bought for a girl. It wasn't a very romantic gift. Maybe he'd add some flowers with it. That would make it more personal and less like a shinobi to shinobi gift. He almost reddened when he realized what he was thinking. She deserved a better gift than a rope even with flowers. He'd have to think harder on that.

He cut off a piece of rope, and rolled one of the bandits onto his back. With very little resistance from the bandit and Hinata's help he tied the guy up hands to feet behind his back. They trussed the other two in a similar manner also without any resistance. Hinata's little beating seemed to have temporarily knocked the aggression out of them.

Naruto dragged them apart to lie under separate trees on their stomachs. The rough treatment seemed to bring them to and they began shouting insults and complaints. Naruto kicked each of them a few times telling them to watch their language in front of a lady, but they continued their abusive harangue.

"That's enough, Naruto." Hinata stopped him as he was about to add a few more kicks to their sides.

He allowed her to pull him away and said with disgust, "Let's go, Hinata. We've wasted enough time on these fools."

She eyed the three groaning and complaining specimens of the dregs of humanity squirming ineffectually on the ground. "Will it be alright leaving them here?"

"Don't waste your pity on them. After robbing us, they probably intended to kill us." He didn't think he needed to go into details about what else might have happened.

"I know." She raised her voice over the noise the trio were making, "You're right, but it could be a couple of days before someone can retrieve them. Maybe it would be more humane to just _kill them_ right now," she emphasized the right words to get their attention. They quieted down immediately.

Naruto grinned and winked at her. "_Sweetie_, you are _so_ bloodthirsty. Those guys should feel lucky you went so easy on them. You're much tougher than I am," he teased.

"I barely drew blood in that fight. It was very disappointing," she continued to play to their audience.

"I know, but blood stains are hard to get out of clothing and that is a new outfit you're wearing."

"That's true. I guess I'll have to wait until the next fight—when I'm dressed for it," she gave an exaggerated sigh. "We'd better go so we can get home today."

"Right." He picked up the backpack, put it on then followed her out of the clearing. "Don't go anywhere, guys. We'll be back," he called over his shoulder and grinned at Hinata looking back at him with a smile of her own.


	14. Byakugan blinded

Operation: Bring home Naruto

XIV. Byakugan blinded

Without a backward glance, Hinata took the lead once more in their journey setting a swift pace. She set her Byakugan and scoped out the terrain ahead of them as they walked. Nothing alarming appeared anywhere before them, but she didn't allow that to relax her. She needed to be even more vigilant during the last day of their journey. She'd been taken by surprise once too often on this mission. She couldn't afford another lapse. They were too close to their goal.

Being so near to completion of this mission should have been a relief, but she knew better than to count her chickens before they hatched. Which led her to the similarly themed thought—she unrealistically had all her eggs in one basket counting on Naruto's enemies to be slow-witted and slow-acting. What if she laid an egg by underestimating them? What if they hadn't been unprepared at all? What if they were waiting for them somewhere ahead, but not too close to Konoha? What if there had been no way for her to stop this confrontation from the moment she'd set out? What if only the time and place had changed because of her plans with the Hokage and nothing else? What if she were actually leading Naruto to his doom?

Just thinking those fatalistic thoughts made her heart pump fearfully, her breathing shallow and her vision blur.

She couldn't help remembering what Tsubaki had told her in the dream, _"There are some bad people after you … Three are near. Four and one are farther away."_ Just because the three had been lame and ineffectual excuses for outlaws didn't mean the next group was of the same ilk. What if that dream had been true and not just a dream? How could she protect Naruto from the dangerous threats Tsubaki had warned her about? Maybe she should just turn around and take Naruto someplace far away where no one had ever heard of Konoha. They'd go into hiding so long that his enemies would stop trying to find him and she wouldn't bring him back until this whole episode was long forgotten.

Before her thoughts could become completely panicky or even paralyzing, the object of her desperate thoughts thankfully interrupted her.

"Hinata, do you want to hear about my weird dream now?" Naruto asked eagerly as they distanced themselves from the old shrine, the well, and the trussed-up trio of complaining bandits. He could still faintly hear them, but they seemed to be arguing and blaming each other now that their audience was gone.

She glanced at him almost in surprise. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she'd forgotten the here and now. She smiled weakly at him as her pulse slowed, her vision cleared and her breathing steadied. She'd thought her panicky, fainting days were in the past, but apparently she could still whip herself into a scare if she wasn't careful.

"Of course," she readily agreed quite willing to be distracted from the turmoil of her thoughts. She briefly recalled her own disturbing dream. Could his dream have been any stranger than her own had been? She picked up the pace before he could start talking so he wouldn't slow down during his story. She especially needed to keep Naruto on track. He did have a tendency to lose focus during a mission—at least that was her memory of him from several years ago.

"You were in it," he continued after he heard her agreement. When he was younger he would have continued without even waiting for her assent. Now that he was older and wiser, he'd come to realize that he'd rather have an interested, agreeable audience than a bored, inattentive one. He'd even learned the trick of peaking his audience's interest. In this case, it wasn't necessary to lie or exaggerate. Her presence in his dream should be all that was necessary to catch and keep her attention—and it was true.

"Was I? You dreamt about me?" She blushed slightly. She was becoming more comfortable in Naruto's presence and less prone to awkward embarrassment, but he could still surprise her with a look or a word when she least expected it. If only there was some significance behind the words and looks he cast her way so easily. That would have been a real dream come true.

"Yeah, sorta. Actually, it was a dream about both of us—and some strange girl."

"Really?" She frowned. That sounded eerily familiar. "What were the three of us doing in your dream?" She felt that was a safe question. Naruto wouldn't be so willing to tell her about the dream if it had contained anything embarrassing.

He stretched out his arms swinging them behind his head as they walked and he reviewed his dream. "I honestly wasn't doing much of anything. I was sleeping right where I had actually been sleeping on the ground beside you near that old shrine."

"Oh?" she encouraged faintly. Had he actually dreamt the same dream she had? If that was so what had he dreamt of the conversation between herself and Tsubaki? She tried to remember some of the things she'd said, and began to blush even more deeply. She really hadn't wanted Naruto to overhear some of the things she'd said about him. It would be wonderful to be able to tell him how she felt, but not if it came as a complete surprise to him. He'd always been a bit obtuse about how she felt about him even during the days when she practically fainted if he came too close. So far no one had ever blabbed her fairly obvious secret him and he hadn't guessed on his own. Ideally, she wanted him to come to a similar realization about her before he became aware of her feelings. Otherwise, the embarrassment of unrequited love would be too great for her to bear, and she'd never be able to face him again. Come to think of it, she was keeping her face pretty firmly turned away from him at that very moment so he wouldn't be aware of her present anticipation of embarrassment.

"While I slept in my dream, you were talking to the strange girl. She sat right in front of you in a totally white kimono. She was really pale and almost looked like a ghost," he as he remembered. It was still very vivid in his mind—almost as if it had really happened.

"What were we talking about?" she asked faintly.

He scratched the back of his head and scrunched up his face as he continued to remember the dream. "That's the weird thing—I couldn't hear or understand a word of it. I could see you both talking and sometimes looking at me, but I couldn't tell what you were saying. That's pretty weird—unh?"

She softly let out the breath she'd been holding. _He hadn't heard a thing_. She was spared any embarrassment from her part in the dream. What a _relief!_ "That certainly is a weird dream. But it sounds very much like the dream I had."

"Oh yeah, what was your dream about?"

"Well, you were sleeping on the ground beside me under the tree while I sat keeping watch. I think I fell asleep for a few seconds. When I opened my eyes, a strange girl suddenly sat down in front of me. She wore a white kimono and she was very pale. She did look like a ghost."

His eyes widened in astonishment. "No kidding? We had the same dream?"

She nodded her head. "That's what it sounds like."

"What do you know? Hey, you talked to her in my dream. Didn't you talk in yours? Who was she? What did she say? What did you talk about?"

She smiled at his impatience. "She did most of the talking. I think she was lonely. She told me her name was Tsubaki, and she had been the priestess of the old shrine. But it wasn't old in my dream. It was lit up quite brightly. I could see that it was whole and well-kept."

He squinted his eyes. "Yeah, I kinda remember that. What else did she say?"

"It was very sad. She told me that she had died of a broken heart at age 19 while waiting for her beloved, a warrior named Uryu Fujishima to return to her. She had nursed him back to health from injuries in battle. When he was well he returned to the fighting promising to come back when the war was over. Of course, he never did."

"Was that all?" he asked in disappointment. That didn't sound very interesting to him. Now if she'd told Hinata the secret whereabouts of buried treasure or some magical artifact that would have been an interesting story.

"She asked me who we were and what we were doing at her shrine. I told her about our mission."

"Was that when you looked at me? I remember both of you looking at me several times."

"I'm sure it was," Hinata lied. She wouldn't hurt his feelings by telling him what Tsubaki really said of him. Nor would she reveal her own feelings by relating her defense. That was one secret she would carry to her grave.

"You know, I don't think I liked the way she looked at me. She looked kinda displeased. What did you tell her?"

"Not much really. She wondered why you were so tired."

"That's all?" he asked in continued disappointment. He certainly felt they'd been looking at him more pointedly than that. _Girls._ They sure didn't know how to have interesting conversations even in dreams. "So was she a real ghost?"

Hinata nodded. "She told me she was a spirit who could only enter dreams."

"Ghosts used to scare me when I was a kid," he scoffed. "So what do you think? Was she a spirit entering our dreams or were we really dreaming?"

"I don't know, but it does seem odd that we would have practically the same dream."

"Well, almost the same dream. You got to talk to her—I only got to sleep—twice. I wonder if that's why I feel so well rested. I slept _and_ dreamed about sleeping."

"I suppose that is a little weird. I wonder—if you'd woken up in your dream would your dream self have had the same dream?"

His brow furrowed in thought. "You mean—dreaming within a dream of dreaming within a dream? Just thinking about it makes my head hurt. Anyway, I think I'd rather do something in my dream besides sleep. It's weird, but boring."

"I didn't do very much either. I only sat, listened and talked to her. She seemed very lonely. She told me she was keeping us asleep for the company."

"Why didn't she wake me up in the dream, too?" he complained. "I could have kept her company, too. It's embarrassing to dream about being asleep. You won't tell anyone, will you, Hinata?"

"Of course not. I'm embarrassed that I fell asleep at all. I was supposed to be keeping watch," she reminded him.

"It wasn't your fault if that ghost was keeping us asleep. Luckily nothing happened during the night."

"It's strange, but I think she was protecting us," she said thoughtfully. "At least, that's the impression I had. Those bandits didn't show up until we were ready to deal with them. I think she kept them away. She even warned me about them. I'd forgotten to tell you about that."

"She told you we'd be attacked?"

"Sort of. She told me there would be three threats before we reached Konoha. Three, then four, then one."

"We already had the three, so our next fight will be with four. Four what?"

"She didn't say, but she did tell me that _the one_ will be the most dangerous."

Naruto laughed. "Between the two of us we should be able to handle one guy. I'm not worried."

Hinata frowned. "There was something more about _the one_. I can't quite remember."

"Maybe you'll think of it later. We've still got hours yet before we reach Konoha."

"I know. Let's walk faster. I'd like to get home as soon as possible."

"Okay. Lead the way, boss."

They were quiet for a long time after that moving swiftly and quietly through the woods. Hinata often used her Byakugan to check the forest around them, but she saw no signs of humans in their vicinity. They seemed to be the only members of their species in this vast forest. She knew that situation wouldn't last, but she was grateful for every mile that passed beneath their feet bringing them closer to the Hidden Leaf Village.

* * *

Naruto's stomach growled loudly. He clutched it in embarrassment and grinned as Hinata looked back at him. "I guess I can't hide the fact that I'm hungry."

She smiled sympathetically, but said, "I'd really rather not stop since we're so close to home. We still have plenty of dried beef.

His face scrunched up in distaste for an answer.

"I did bring some food pills as a last resort," she offered hesitantly. She'd wanted to save them in case they needed an energy boost towards the end of the day.

His face scrunched up even more. "I hate those things. Once they wear off, they make you feel even hungrier than when you took them—and I mean starving—plus almost too tired to eat. I only take them when I'm desperate."

"Dried beef, then?"

He swung the backpack off his shoulders. "Yeah, dried beef's better than food pills—_but_ just barely." He pulled a few flat strips of beef out of the pack, and offered one to her, "You want one?"

"I probably should." She took it out of his hand, bit down and chewed and chewed and chewed. The beef was so much better in a stew then by itself. Before she could ask, he handed her a water bottle.

"I don't recognize the scenery yet. How much longer to the village do you think?"

"Once we're out of this forest and on the road, it's about two more hours. I haven't seen any landmarks that I recognize from the map, so I'm not sure how much longer we have in here." She looked up at the sky and used her Byakugan. "By the angle of sun, I'd say it's early afternoon so we probably have a few more hours of forest yet to go."

"We'll have dinner in Konoha," he said with pleasant anticipation. "Ramen."

"If you like," she agreed with a smile.

"Oh yeah. That's what I should have been dreaming about last night. I've missed having a decent bowl of ramen. Even that village we ate at yesterday couldn't compare to the ramen in Konoha." He chewed a large bite of his beef strip. The watering of his mouth as he anticipated his next bowl of ramen helped the beef go down more smoothly. In fact, he was able to get down a few more strips of beef without water as he thought about ramen.

Hinata only ate two strips of beef herself before she'd had enough to assuage her hunger. The half bottle of water she drank helped fill her up, too. While Naruto dreamed of ramen, she dreamed of eating in a ramen restaurant with Naruto. Pleasant thoughts and chewing tough beef kept them quiet for some time.

They'd been walking quietly for over an hour when Hinata became aware of a change in the air before them. She used her Byakugan, but found nothing strange at first. They walked on for twenty minutes more, before she noticed a greater change.

"Do you smell smoke, Naruto?" she asked suddenly. She smelled nothing, but perhaps he had a greater sensitivity to it than she did.

He sniffed the air. "No. What is it?"

She frowned. "Haven you noticed that the air seems thicker and has a darkish color of sorts to it?"

He looked around in front of them. "No." He looked behind them. It did seem clearer behind than before them. "Yeah. Maybe. It's hard to tell until you look where we've been. What do you see?"

"Not much, but that's the problem. I can't see as far ahead of us as I should be able to. There's something obstructing my vision. If it's not smoke, then what? It can't be fog. It's too late in the afternoon. The forest isn't that thick, and the sun would have burned off morning fog by now."

Naruto peered ahead of them, but he couldn't really see anything. He could feel a difference in the air now that he was paying attention to it. "The air feels heavier," he told her. "But it doesn't feel wet like fog or mist."

She began to walk more slowly. "Can it be a natural phenomenon?"

"What else? I've dealt with ninja from the Hidden Mist Village. They can bring up a mist that obscures the view, but it feels wet. I don't feel anything like that."

"Neither do I. It's more like a haze. I think it's greenish so the forest camouflages it. But what _it_ is—I just don't know." She stopped walking. "I wonder if we should get out of the forest."

He stopped beside her and looked around. "Hinata, it's all around us now. I don't think we can. It's getting thicker much quicker now."

She turned in a circle looking around them. She could barely see fifty feet in front of her eyes now. Still she couldn't see anything actually threatening them. Should they keep walking?

As she still hesitated deciding what they should do, the green thickness encircled them even more tightly. She looked up, but couldn't even see the sun. It wasn't dark, but it wasn't bright either. She no longer knew which direction led out of the forest.

"Naruto, let's stand back to back so we'll at least be prepared for something coming at us from any angle."

"Right." He took up a stand at her back.

They stood waiting for something to happen which was not something Naruto was good at. He'd always hated waiting for anything. He'd always been the type to run towards a problem and hit it head on rather than sitting around and waiting for the problem to hit him. He wanted to attack something, but how did a person fight a green haze?

"Hinata, do you see anything?"

"Nothing. Less than nothing. I've never felt this blind in my life," she confessed. Her heart pounded with the adrenalin pumping throughout her body preparing for the next attack.  
And there had to be a next attack. She no longer believed that this could be a natural phenomenon. She'd never heard or read of anything like it. This had to be the preliminary salvo to an attack. But from where? What kind of attack? When?

All of her questions were answered three seconds later when Naruto yelled and she saw him being pulled down into the ground.


	15. Tsubaki's predictions unfold

Operation: Bring home Naruto

XV. Tsubaki's predictions unfold

"Naruto!" Hinata cried as she watched him disappear into the earth. Her arms had automatically stretched out and her hands had grabbed for him, but she'd caught only air. He'd been swallowed up too fast for her to react.

Before she could take more than a step towards the spot where he'd disappeared, a deep voice echoed loudly from somewhere beyond the green haze, "Leave him, girl. We don't want you. Go from here before something worse happens to you. Step back and you will be allowed to leave."

Those disembodied commands only made her more determined to rescue Naruto. Her response to this piece of nonsense was to stomp the ground where Naruto had disappeared with her foot. She didn't have the same huge power of Tsunade or Sakura, but her gentle fist technique of fighting was just as effective with her feet as with her hands. Concentrating chakra to her foot, she sent a chakra chop into the area that had swallowed up Naruto opening a huge fission in the ground effectively shaking him free from his captor.

Naruto burst out of the fission she made by kicking hard against the ninja surprised into releasing him. He hit the ceiling of their green enclosure then fell landing heavily on his feet beside her. "Thanks, Hinata." He crouched down ready to attack any further threat from the ground.

She nodded and with her Byakugan, looked down into the hole that had held him. There was someone still beneath the ground not visible to the naked eye, but lurking to the side of the hole. She stomped on the ground again just above him hoping to create another fission—in his head. With some satisfaction, she saw him clutch his head and bend over in pain.

"That was a stupid move, girl. We don't want you. You could walk away free and unharmed. We only want the boy."

"You can't have him!" she yelled up to the green haze searching it with her Byakugan, but still seeing nothing beyond green.

"So be it. Whatever happens to you will be your own fault," the voice intoned impressively once more with the echo effect.

"Shut up, asshole! You want me? Come on down here and try to take me!" Naruto yelled back. With his fists doubled he frowned fiercely and stared up into the green haze just as Hinata was doing. He couldn't see a damn thing. What the hell was this stuff and who were they fighting?

"What do we do now, Naruto?" Hinata whispered. She'd never felt this helpless and blind since she'd mastered her Byakugan. "I hate this! I can't see a thing through this haze. What is this stuff that can dim even my Byakugan? Is it simply a jutsu?"

Naruto shook his head, but he was thinking fiercely. This situation reminded him of another one he'd been caught in years ago—at least similar enough to try the same remedy. "I've got an idea. It worked once when I was held in a water trap. Maybe it will work here." He took out a kunai blade and wrapped an exploding tag around it. "Get down," he said pulling Hinata into the fission with him while he threw the kunai at the opposite side of the green haze.

They ducked down as green haze exploded around them.

"Look, a hole! It worked!" she exclaimed excitedly and pointed to the area that had exploded. There was a large opening in the haze—large enough for both of them to escape through.

"Come on," he said as he grabbed her hand and jumped out of the protection of the fission.

Hinata needed no further urging. She was beside him all the way as they leapt through the escape hole in their green cage.

"Think you're clever? Think again," the same voice called down to them, but it sounded completely human and less threatening now that it didn't have to project and travel through the green haze.

They both looked up into the trees and saw a ninja just overhead making hand signs.

Suddenly pine needles began to shoot at them. They were sharper and stronger than normal pine needles. Naruto and Hinata raised their arms over their heads to protect their faces, but the needles still pierced through their jacket sleeves enough to sting and draw blood.

"Naruto, get down! I'll take care of this," Hinata ordered. She began her shugo hake rokujuu yon shou spinning on one leg, the other raised to avoid hitting Naruto who crouched at her feet. She began to deflect the needles with her hands and leg.

The needles came down faster and faster, but Hinata spun just as fast moving the air around her with the force of a small tornado which deflected as many needles as her divine protection moves. She continued to spin and deflect until she felt no more needles and heard the voice above them curse, "Damn you! You can't protect him forever. Give him up or die!"

She stopped her spinning, but remained perched on one foot with her hands poised to deflect should the needles begin to attack again. She looked up into the trees and now saw two more ninja on various branches surrounding them. Naruto began to rise, but she stopped him, "Naruto, stay down until we know what they'll do next. I can protect you better from an aerial attack this way."

Just as she finished speaking, she heard a creaking noise. Before she could turn around the tree behind her reached forward and wrapped its branches around her pining her to the trunk. She'd been caught completely off-guard. This had to be another strange jutsu these ninja possessed, but she'd never witnessed or heard of that ability before.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled jumping to his feet. Before he could turn to help her, the three ninja jumped out of the trees. "Tajuu kage bunshin no justu," he said making the appropriate hand signs. Four clones appeared beside him and began fighting the attacking ninja.

Hinata struggled to escape the tree's embrace, but she could do nothing with her arms and legs pinned to her sides. She had to get free, but how? Her blood limit was of no use to her in this situation and the more she strained the tighter the limbs of the tree seemed to hold onto her. She finally gave up her struggles, and watched the fight.

The ninja from beneath the ground had emerged to join his comrades and they began to attack Naruto from all sides with kunai blades. She studied the attacking ninja trying to figure out where they were from, but their headband plates were unmarked and as clear as mirrors. She had no clue from their dress or fighting style what village these ninja belonged to. She couldn't even guess the quality of their jutsu. Based on what they'd used so far, they seemed able to use the earth and nature itself in their attacks. What village had earth and nature skills? She'd had occasion to look through the bingo book, but could remember no group of unidentified ninja that used the jutsu she'd witnessed today. She couldn't even offer constructive advice in this fight. She was completely helpless as Naruto fought against the four unknown ninja. In despair, she could only watch the fight before her. However her despair slowly dissipated as she continued to observe the skills of the ninja fighting Naruto.

Their initial jutsus had been unusual, but their general fighting style was nothing that Naruto and his clones couldn't handle. Whenever he was down to one clone, he performed his shadow clone jutsu again and brought in a fresh batch. The ninja he fought used the usual feints, replacement jutsus, and kunai attacks, but they were able only to infrequently touch Naruto. He knew the basic jutsus just as well or better than they did. Plus his chakra seemed stronger. She watched the fight with her Byakugan to observe the steady drain of chakra in all parties. She was at least able to shout out to Naruto which ninja were weakest. That was some help even though the tree tightened its hold whenever she spoke.

Finally while using his Uzumaki barrage, Naruto knocked out the ninja who had trapped her using the tree. Without his control, the branches snapped back to normal and she was suddenly dropped to the ground landing heavily on her backside.

She scrambled to her feet and joined the fight with the remaining three ninja. She was still fairly fresh and Naruto had plenty of chakra left while the three ninja were weakening. Naruto continued producing clones when necessary while she concentrated on the weakest ninja. Once she'd blocked his chakra flow effectively, she was able to deal him a stunning blow and he fell lifelessly to the ground.

By that time, Naruto had knocked out another ninja. She, Naruto and the clones finally subdued the last attacking ninja. They stood breathing heavily surrounded by the bodies unconscious ninja. Looking around, Hinata caught Naruto's eye and they exchanged a congratulatory grin.

Naruto wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "Let's tie them up just like we did the bandits at the well. We'll send someone from the village back for this group, too."

"Right," Hinata agreed and retrieved the rope she'd dropped after Naruto had disappeared.

They cut up the remainder of Hinata's rope. Naruto searched the ninja for weapons removing shurikens, kunai blades and other ninja weapons stowed in various pockets and packs on their persons. He held them down while Hinata tied them up. Then they distributed the ninja around the forest far enough apart so they couldn't easily connect.

When they were finished, Naruto swiped his hands together a few times in a gesture of completion. "There. We've successfully taken care of another group of enemies. You had nothing to worry about, Hinata."

A worried frown greeted his grinning confidence.

"What?" he asked answering her worried look. "We've taken care of seven enemies. One more shouldn't be any problem."

"I don't know about that, Naruto. Tsubaki said—"

"She was just a ghost or a dream, Hinata," he said dismissively. "It could just be a coincidence that we were attacked by the exact numbers she told you about."

Hinata's hand went to her pocket as she remembered a part of Tsubaki's dream she'd forgotten earlier. If the vial she'd been given was in her pocket then Tsubaki had been more than a dream or a ghost. She reached inside her pocket.

Her hand closed over a small glass vial just as she felt something sharp pierce the side of her neck. She felt the sting of a dart and the numbness of poison entering her bloodstream as she fell face forward onto the ground.

"Hinata!" Naruto cried as he sprang for her. Crouching over her, he turned her gently onto her back.

"Naruto," she whispered. "The glass vial in my hand—in my pocket—pour the contents into my mouth."

Her hand was still in her pocket clutching the vial. He reached into her pocket, pulled out her hand and carefully pryed her fingers to release. He unstoppered the cork, but he had to physically open her mouth to pour in the liquid. Already she was becoming paralyzed from the poison. She could barely swallow the warm liquid that trickled to the back of the throat, but she did swallow it. The dart had entered the vein on the side of her neck sending poison swiftly into her bloodstream. The antidote would enter her stomach first and then her bloodstream. She would be effectively out of action who knew how long until the two met. How was she to protect Naruto in the meantime? She couldn't even turn her head to look at him.

Naruto held Hinata's head still making certain every drop of liquid stayed in her mouth. He had no clue what was going on, but he had confidence that she did. Anxiously, he watched her throat convulse over the liquid. Her eyelids closed suddenly as if she were falling asleep—or worse. She was already incredibly still and pale, but he had no time to worry over her condition. Just as he'd finished restoppering the vial, a new voice called down to them.

"Step away from that foolish girl, young man. There's nothing you can do for her. She was dead as soon as my dart pierced her neck," the mocking voice told him.

Naruto gently lay down Hinata's head and jumped to his feet. He looked up into the trees from where the voice seemed to be coming, but he could see no one. "What did you do to her? She's not dead. She won't die. She can't die. Who are you?" The branches of the trees swayed and rustled with the light wind playing through them, but they hid well the body behind the voice.

An amused laugh filtered down from above. "I might have let her go if she hadn't interfered in that fight I'd set up for you. Those ninja I'd hired were supposed to fight you and only you. I wanted to see how well you could fight—not that foolish girl. I have no interest in her. Oh well, I would probably have had to kill her anyway."

Naruto felt his fear for Hinata swell up into anger. "You bastard! Why did you hurt her? Why do you care so much about my fighting? Who the hell are you?"

"So many questions. We have a little time for answers. I _do_ want you to know why you're going to die here by my hand."

"Is that why you sent those ninja after us? To kill me?"

"Not to kill you. That pleasure is mine and mine alone. I just wanted to see how good you really were. Those ninja were simply pawns sacrificed to test your mettle. Unfortunately, that stupid girl interfered in the game. You were not supposed to have any professional help on your journey home. I wasn't told that a ninja had met your train. That was very clever. If I'd know, I'd have taken her out of the game much sooner."

Naruto frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"You aren't very intelligent, are you? I've had you followed since you completed your last mission. I've been waiting so I could kill you just before you reached home. I thought that would be a fitting reward for the returning hero—death to reward the victor."

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto was genuinely puzzled. Apparently, the Hokage had known what she was talking about telling Hinata he'd made some powerful enemies—but who was this one? Who would have gone to all this trouble to track and attack him within a few hours of Konoha? Why would he be that important to anyone outside Konoha?

"Did you think there would be no consequences from your actions?" the voice was angry now. "Did you think completing your mission and taking your money was the end of it. Don't you realize that even your enemies have family and loved ones left behind. Did you never suspect that what you consider a mere job was someone else's life?"

"What are you talking about?" he demanded impatiently.

"You killed someone very dear to me not long ago. Watching you fight just now, I don't see how it was possible. You're nothing special. You ninja are all alike. You rely so much on your jutsus that you can barely handle a real fight," he said scornfully.

"Who did I kill? Who are you?" Naruto demanded.

"You really are dense. I see I must spell it all out for you. You were just a hired bodyguard. When my son kidnapped the grandson of my enemy, you got involved and killed him. My son was a superb fighter, but he'd never experienced your stupid ninja tricks. You could only have beaten him with the element of surprise—not through the superiority of your fighting skill. Skill? Ha! You have none. Your only talent is that clone jutsu of yours. Once I take that out of the equation, you're nothing.

"Shut up! You don't know anything about ninja," Naruto defended angrily.

"Nor do I care to. I only want to see justice done. Your life for my son's life."

"Then why did you sacrifice Hinata or those other ninja? What did they do to you?"

"Those ninja were for hire. If they weren't up to the task, they should never have accepted my coin."

"What about Hinata? Why did you have to hurt her?"

"Hurt?" he laughed. "You still can't accept the truth, can you? The word is kill. She had the opportunity to leave. She chose not to accept the generous offer. She brought her death on herself."

"She's not dead!" he yelled back loudly. He glanced over at Hinata lying so still on the ground. She still looked far too pale and lifeless, but she couldn't be dead. What was in the vial she'd asked him to give her? Would it help her? It had to help. How did she know what to bring with her? How did she know this would happen? Please, let her be well.

He laughed again. "Believe what you want. Now you know how it feels to lose someone you care about. I don't call it love. What a man feels for a woman is nothing compared to what a man feels for his son. You'll be happy to know that I intend to send you to join her. And if that was too abstruse for you, I'll make it simpler—I'm now going to kill you."

"You talk big, but where are you? Come down here and say that! Or are you a coward who just uses poison darts—as if poison darts are more honorable than ninjitsu!"

"All in good time, young man. I'm still deciding whether to fight you as you are or give you a little push in the right direction. I won't give you a killing poison—just something to slow you down a little."

Naruto searched the trees but couldn't find the man anywhere. He wished Hinata were able to use her Byakugan to help him. She'd be able to tell where the enemy was so he could avoid those poison darts. Instead, he would have to confuse the man. He brought his hands together and quickly made the signs for his shadow clone jutsu.

"Very good. Yes, try to confuse me. Let's make this a good fight."

Naruto couldn't even see or hear the darts as they took out his clones one by one, but he felt the one that got him in the neck. He grabbed the dart swiftly pulling it out, but it was too quick acting. He already began to feel his reactions slow and his thought processes dull. He turned around looking up into the trees trying to find his enemy only to have him drop down behind him.

"Let's get this out of the way first," the man said and gave Hinata a kick that sent her flying out of the clearing.

"Don't you touch her!" Naruto roared and ran butting his head towards his enemy, but the man moved too quickly. Instead, Naruto ran into the nearest tree almost knocking himself out.

The man behind him chuckled. "I enjoyed that. Are you finished already?"

Naruto turned back to his enemy, his anger making him see red. He put his hands together to make the signs for his shadow jutsu, but the man moved into him and began chopping and kicking him with quick jabs. All Naruto could do was react, blocking and ducking blows. The man wouldn't give him enough space to perform any jutus, but kept the distance between them down to inches.

The man, an older man as Naruto could now see—not as old as Jiraiya but older than Kakashi—wouldn't let up. He hammered away at Naruto without pause. Naruto's movements felt slow and sluggish. He began blocking fewer and fewer blows until he was finally knocked down. Blood from a cut over his eyes blurred his vision, and he could taste blood from a cut on his mouth. He'd been beaten up before, but he'd never felt this battered. The drug he'd been given had taken away that extra spurt of adrenalin his body always seemed to have ready to keep him fighting. He couldn't even lift his head off the ground let alone get to his feet. He closed his eyes hoping to get his second wind in a few moments.

"This was far too easy," the man's voice came from far above Naruto. "If I let you rest for a few minutes will you have any energy to get up and fight?" The man kicked him in the head. "Come on. Answer me."

"Yeah," Naruto groaned. "A few minutes."

"Okay. You have two minutes more to live. Rest up."

Naruto lay still. He felt as if he was losing consciousness. It was as if black, inky clouds were rolling in front of his eyes. But he didn't lose consciousness. Instead, he found himself in the prison he'd often found himself in the past. He stood before the thick iron bars of the cell that housed Kyuubi, the nine-tailed fox.

"Well, brat, do you need some help again?" he asked.

"Yeah. Unless you want to die," Naruto responded with his usual diplomacy.

"Not under the circumstances. I'm still hoping to find a way out of here."

"Well, hurry up and help then. I've only got two minutes."

"Ungrateful brat. Take this."

Naruto felt Kyuubi's chakra flow into and throughout his body. He felt it burn off the poison he'd been given. He felt it rev his adrenalin to gigantic proportions. He felt every wound and cut on his body begin to heal more rapidly than ever before. Most importantly he sensed the foot coming close to his head, and without opening his eyes, he grabbed it, twisted it and threw it like a javelin into the tree across the clearing.

He jumped to his feet as he heard his enemy hit the tree with an oath of surprise and pain. Before the man could get to his feet, Naruto was lifting him by the scruff of his shirt and ramming him into the tree again and again. He didn't give the man a chance to catch a breath or say a word. He'd heard enough. He just wanted to end this now.

He finally flung the man on the ground as battered and bloodied as Naruto himself had been only moments before. He didn't know if the man was dead or alive, and he didn't care. He left him on the ground, and ran to Hinata's side. He hadn't forgotten her. He hadn't dared think about her. He was so afraid he was too late to help her.

"Hinata," he said urgently as he crouched down beside her and gently turned her onto her back again. She'd been lying partially on her side in an unnatural, uncomfortable position. The arm she'd been lying on was bent in a bad way. He winced as he carefully felt her arms, legs and sides checking for broken bones. She definitely had a broken arm, and at least one broken rib from where the man had kicked her.

"Hinata," he said again, but still received no response. She looked so pale, it scared him.

He checked her pulse. It was slow, but still faintly throbbing. He sank back on his heels, and gave a large sigh of relief, but his relief was only momentary as he began to consider their options.

How was he to get her home? He was loath to try carrying her with a broken rib. It could puncture her lung. What he needed was a stretcher—and some help carrying it—oh, and throw in a healer while he was making wishes.

"Hinata," he said quietly close to her ear. "I've got to get some help. I'll be as quick as I can. You've got to hang in there. Please, Hinata. I'll be back. I promise."

It may have been his imagination, but he thought he saw her eyelids flutter. He decided to take that as a positive sign. He leapt to his feet. He had to leave now.

He walked back over to his last enemy to make sure he wouldn't cause any trouble while he was gone. As far as Naruto could tell, he hadn't moved a millimeter. The man was still a bloody, broken heap of flesh. Just in case, he took off his jacket and tied the man's hands behind his back. The jacket was a loss, but at least he could be certain the man wouldn't get up and hurt Hinata anymore.

He was ready to go now. He could tell by the angle of the sun which direction to take so he set off at a run towards Konoha. He still felt runoff from the fox's chakra flowing through his body. It would be enough to triple his usual speed and get him to Konoha in record time. It had to be. He wouldn't let Hinata die. Never!


	16. Mission accomplished

Operation: Bring home Naruto

XVI. Mission accomplished

Naruto was twenty minutes into the woods when the thought of Gamma Bunta suddenly occurred to him. Why hadn't he tried to summon the toad lord before he'd used up so much chakra on this run to Konoha? Gamma Bunta could have gotten Hinata safely back to the village. Damn, why did he always act first and think second?

It was too late now. He didn't think he had enough chakra left to summon any toad bigger than Gamakichi or worse yet Gamatatsu. He just had to get to Konoha as quickly as possible under his own steam. He put on another burst of speed almost missing the search party combing the woods near him. It was Akamaru's barking that drew his attention to the group running in his direction.

"Sakura! Kiba! Shino! Neji!" he greeted them with relief as they ran up to meet him.

"Where's Lady Hinata?" Neji asked getting down to basics immediately.

"She's been hurt. I was coming for help," Naruto explained hurriedly.

"_You let her get hurt_?" Kiba demanded his fists doubled up threateningly.

Naruto flushed. "The guy had poison darts. Before we knew it, she'd been hit."

"Poison? Naruto, why didn't you bring her with you? We can't waste any time if poison's involved." It was Sakura's turn to make him feel like a failure.

He waved his hands in denial as the three pairs of accusing eyes bored into him. "No! Wait! I think it's okay. She took something for the poison. It's the broken rib that worried me. I was afraid of doing more damage if I carried her. We need a stretcher," he continued to rush his explanations which seemed to somewhat mollify his audience.

"I'll go back and get a few medics with a stretcher," Shino offered.

"Wait! You don't know where to go. How will you find the right place?"

"Don't worry. I have my ways," Shino promised solemnly and took off the way he'd come.

"Damn you, Naruto. Why didn't you protect her? You're the stronger ninja," Kiba accused.

"You under estimate Hinata's abilities if you think she can't take care of herself. She was awesome on this mission. It was just bad luck that the guy after me only wanted to fight me," Naruto told him hotly. Unfortunately, Kiba's accusation had hit him right where his sense of guilt was alive and well. He would have given his own life to have spared Hinata from the pain she'd suffered. He'd just never been given the opportunity. But he couldn't say any of that to Kiba. It wasn't any of his business.

Before Kiba could rebut, Sakura interrupted. "We've got no time for recriminations or accusations. I can set the broken bones, and numb the pain. If Naruto's right about the antidote, she'll be fine. Come on."

"Yeah, let's hurry," Naruto agreed before Kiba could open his mouth again and turned to lead the way running as fast back to Hinata as he'd come. He didn't know if he still had some of the fox's chakra or if he was running on his own adrenalin, but the others had a little trouble keeping up. He had to stop a few times to wait until he was certain Akamaru was still on his trail so the others wouldn't get lost.

He managed to reach the clearing where he'd left Hinata in under twenty minutes. He looked anxiously around, but all his defeated enemies where still trussed up in the same places they'd been dropped. He dismissed any threat they might have been and turned to kneel at Hinata's side. She looked as pale and lifeless as when he'd left. He felt her pulse. It was still throbbing weakly but steadily. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hinata," he spoke softly near her ear. "Help is on the way. It shouldn't be long. Sakura, Neji, Kiba and of course, Akamaru will be here any minute. Sakura seemed confident that she can heal you and Neji can use his Byakugan to help her. I don't know why Kiba came along except for Akamaru's ability in finding us by our scent. Oh yeah, and Shino was with them, but he went back for a stretcher. We're going to get you home as soon as possible. I promise."

He held the hand of her unbroken arm and sat down beside her. He didn't know what else to say so he anxiously watched her face for signs of returning consciousness. Occasionally, he'd gently squeeze her hand, and then he'd say her name always hoping for some reaction to let him know she'd be all right. However, no obvious sign was forthcoming.

It was a long five minutes until Sakura, Kiba and Neji arrived in Akamaru's wake.

* * *

Sakura shooed Naruto out of the way. He stood at Hinata's head watching Sakura work, uncomfortably aware of Kiba standing at Hinata's feet glaring at him as often as he watched Sakura and Hinata.

She examined Hinata's ribs first. "Only one rib's broken and it hasn't punctured her lung. I can set that now." She worked her chakra over the break starting the healing process. With Neji's assistance, she wrapped a bandage around Hinata's chest to hold the rib in place.

Next she set the arm and started that bone knitting with her chakra. She sat back on her heels when she'd finished.

"Will she be alright? I don't see any difference," Naruto asked after Sakura tied Hinata's healing arm carefully in a sling and laid it gently against her chest.

"I could completely heal both breaks, but it takes an enormous amount of chakra and can be debilitating. I'm not authorized to expend so high a quantity that I could endanger myself except in emergency situations. She should be able to heal quite well on her own now," she told him to explain her inability to effect an immediate change in Hinata's condition. "Neji, how's the antidote working against that poison in her system?"

He'd already used his Byakugan to examine Hinata's wounds for Sakura, and had been watching the poison as she worked. "I can see the path of the poison. It moved quickly into her bloodstream. The antidote is only now beginning to consume it. The poison isn't making any further progress. It should only be a matter of time before it's completely absorbed."

"Why is she still so pale and lifeless?" Naruto asked anxiously.

"It must be some effect of the poison. Her wounds of themselves aren't too bad. But you were right not to move her, Naruto. That broken rib could have punctured her lung if she'd been jostled too much."

He was gratified to hear that his judgment hadn't been wrong at least in that case. He shot Kiba a superior smile. Kiba had been frowning blackly at him over Hinata's prone figure throughout her treatment. It was only Sakura's assurances that had kept him from decking Naruto.

"How did Hinata happen to have an antidote for this particular poison? I'm not familiar with its effects."

He shrugged. He had his suspicions but he didn't want to go into the whole Tsubaki episode. It was Hinata's story, and they probably wouldn't believe him anyway. "She had a glass vial in her pocket and told me to pour it into her mouth before she lost consciousness. That's all I really know."

"Where's the guy with the poison darts?" Kiba demanded shifting his anger to a worthier object.

Naruto gestured behind him. "The one across the clearing tied up with my jacket."

"Who is he? Why was he attacking you?" Neji asked.

"I don't know his name, but it had to do with my mission overseas. I killed his son after he'd kidnapped my client," Naruto explained briefly. He wasn't in the mood to go into the whole story. He'd officially debrief when he faced the Fifth back in Konoha. He wasn't proud of the fact that he hadn't taken Hinata's mission as seriously as he should have. Maybe she wouldn't be lying there looking so frail and ill if he had.

"Who are the other guys?"

"I don't know exactly who they are either, but they're ninja hired to slow me down. Hinata gave them a lot of trouble. I think that's why the old guy poisoned her." Naruto didn't feel he owed Kiba anything but the briefest explanations. He could feel Kiba's hostility because of what happened to Hinata, but he was feeling a little hostile himself. He remembered all too well that Hinata had gone out with Kiba. He hadn't liked the idea when he'd heard it originally, and he liked it even less now that he witnessed Kiba's concern. He was beginning to see Kiba as a major rival not as a friend—and Kiba's attitude did nothing to alter those feelings.

Uncomfortably he realized that he'd felt that same way with Sasuke over Sakura years ago. He'd always known how Sakura felt about Sasuke so it was just one more dimension to the rivalry he'd always felt with Sasuke. But Sasuke had never shown any particular interest in Sakura so that aspect of the rivalry had been completely one sided. However, in this case he was fairly certain how Kiba felt, but he wasn't at all certain about Hinata's feelings. Until this mission of hers, he'd never been conscious of her as potential girlfriend material. She hadn't stood out from the kunoichi pack the way Sakura always had. Girl and friend had been two separate and distinct words in his mind if he ever thought of Hinata in the past.

But now everything was different. He was aware of her in so many different ways. She'd made him see her as an attractive, desirable woman. She'd grown so much from the shy, timid girl of the past. He'd seen her courage, leadership skills and fighting abilities as he'd never witnessed them before. And there was so much more he wanted to know about her.

But would she give him the opportunity? Or would Kiba be even more of a rival than Sasuke had ever been? Once she was well, he was determined to find out. He didn't think Hinata was the type of girl to play games. She'd be honest with him. He had no problem competing with Kiba if that's what it took. She was worth fighting for.

He sat down again beside Hinata to wait for the medics. He wanted to take her hand, but he didn't want to get in a fight with Kiba about it when Hinata needed rest and quiet. Instead, he watched as Kiba plopped down across from him. He had to suffer once more Kiba scowling at him again along with Akamaru lying down at his master's side growling at him.

In the meantime Sakura and Neji examined the prisoners performing a little healing and tightening of bonds. Eventually they too, sat down around Hinata.

And so they all waited the next two hours for Shino and the medics to arrive.

* * *

Hinata felt as if her eyelids were glued shut. Panicking she croaked out, "Naruto?" but received no response. In frustration her eyes welled with tears which finally enabled her to tear them open and blink up at her surroundings. However before she could focus on anything recognizable she had to close her eyes again and rub them with her knuckles.

Her last memories were of the forest clearing where she had fallen after the poison dart had hit her neck with Naruto had bent over her as she told him about the glass vial Tsubaki had given her. She remembered nothing after that, but everything that had happened before that began to crowd into her head—the fight with the four ninja, the feel of the poison entering her bloodsteam and Naruto calling her name.

"Naruto," she said again in a stronger voice as she looked around.

There were no trees, no clearing and no Naruto. She found herself in a darkened hospital room. The blind covering the window had the muted glow of sunlight glaring just beyond its shade. She heard a noise and turned her head to find Shizune sitting beside her bed dozing fitfully in a chair.

"Naruto," she said again more loudly which finally woke Shizune mid-snore.

"Hinata! You're finally awake," she smiled with relief.

"Naruto," Hinata demanded again.

"He's fine. He was being such a nuisance, Tsuande sent him on a mission. Are you thirsty?"

Hinata nodded and Shizune lifted her head and held a glass of water at her mouth. She gulped the water thirstily. She hadn't realized how dry she felt until Shizune had suggested water. And she felt so weak. If Shizune hadn't held her head she didn't think she'd have been able raise it on her own.

"How?" was all she could think to ask. There were so many hows she wanted to know the answer to, she couldn't choose just one.

"How long have you been unconscious? It's been three weeks. That poison you were given was more insidious that it first appeared. Once Tsuande was able to discover what it was we made more of the antidote for you. It took longer than we first thought to rid your system of the poison's effects. You should recover quickly now that you're awake."

"What?" she tried again but hadn't the energy for a complete question.

"What happened? I'll let the Fifth tell you about that. She had the entire story from Naruto. If you think you're up to it, I'll get her now. She wanted to see you as soon as you're awake, but I can let you rest a little longer if you'd like."

"Now," she answered. She couldn't rest until she knew more and was certain that Naruto really was fine.

"Okay. Hang on. She's here at the hospital. It should only take a few minutes." She stood up, stretched then left the room.

Hinata desperately needed to know what happened. She hadn't even seen the man who'd shot her with the poison dart, but she'd heard his voice and his laugh. Just that much of him had frightened her. She'd felt such a desperate sense of failure as she'd slipped into unconsciousness—and dread—dread that she'd left Naruto to face that evil man alone. It was only Tsubaki's assurances that Naruto wouldn't need the antidote that caused her to take it herself. What if Tsubaki had lied to her because she hadn't liked Naruto? What if Naruto wasn't fine at all? What if Shizune was lying to her now just because she'd been ill and shouldn't be alarmed?

Luckily, it really was only a few minutes before the Hokage breezed into the room. If Hinata had had any more time alone she would have worked herself into a major panic.

"Well, my formidable young kunoichi, you're finally back with us," she greeted Hinata as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Yes," Hinata made her usual one word response. More than that was too great an effort.

"Shizune told me you were asking about Naruto. He really is none the worse for wear after your adventure. He has wonderful recuperative powers. You really don't need to worry about him."

"Where?"

"I sent Naruto off with Kakashi, Lee and Gai to return all those villains you and Naruto left strewn about the forest. He was pestering the hospital staff so much that I really had to give him something to do. He was quite worried about you—as we all were. I don't know where you obtained that antidote, but it saved your life. Even if I hadn't been able to make more, you would have recovered nicely. It would simply have taken a little longer."

She continued without giving Hinata an opportunity to reply. "You might not believe this, but every one of those villains you and Naruto took down had a price on his head. The two of you wracked up quite a tidy sum of reward money. Even the village you helped with the kidnapping sent along a nice little reward. This was one of the most profitable missions Konoha has had all year."

Hinata gave her a weak smile in response since the Hokage didn't seem to require a verbal acknowledgment.

Tsunade took her hand and squeezed it. "You did a good job, Hinata. You brought Naruto home safely. Don't argue! I know you don't feel that way since it was actually Naruto bringing you home on a stretcher, but he told me the entire story. I know exactly what part you played in his return. Trust me. Without you, he would have fallen to his enemies back in the city—and there would have been a lot more to contend with. By getting him as close to Konoha as you did, there were fewer to fight. Believe me, that man who poisoned you, had spread out his hired thugs all over to find you. We discovered several groups of them in the environs of Konoha. They didn't know what direction you'd taken to get back. It was simply mischance that he chose the same path you did. The outcome would have been different if you hadn't faced him, but he would still have been out there waiting for an opportunity to pounce on Naruto. This way we have him in custody, and will be collecting a nice fat reward for his apprehension."

She squeezed Hinata's hand again. "I have some further good news. Your father has arranged for your recovery with a trip to a seaside resort. You'll have plenty of sun and relaxation to recover your strength. Now that you're awake and able to eat, we can have you on your way in a few days."

"Naruto?" Hinata asked. She really wanted to see him.

"Now, I told you not to worry about him. I'll keep him busy until you get back. You'll be yourself again in no time. A month at the seashore should do wonders." She stood up and patted Hinata's hand. "I'll have some nourishing soup sent to you before you fall asleep again. Once you start eating solid food, you'll regain your strength in no time."

She left Hinata's room as breezily as she'd entered.

Hinata had no strength to protest their arrangements. She especially wouldn't refuse her father's gift—he offered her so few. The Hokage must have impressed him with her success, although it didn't feel like a success. But maybe it had been foolish of her to dream of returning to the village triumphantly with Naruto whole and healthy at her side. The mission hadn't gone exactly smoothly from the beginning. Too many things had happened that she'd never foreseen. The most important being—she'd fallen more deeply in love with Naruto than she'd ever dreamed possible.

He'd been so perfect on this trip. He'd followed her direction. He'd allowed her to take the lead when he could easily have overridden her. He'd allowed her to protect him. He'd been sweet and caring and admiring and concerned—everything she'd ever dreamed he could be.

But it was over now. They were back in the real world. She wasn't his girlfriend. He probably still liked Sakura despite her engagement. They were on separate teams and would go their separate ways. And besides all that—she wouldn't even see him for a whole month while she recuperated by the sea.

He'd forget all about her. She'd go back to being that weird, timid Hinata. The next time they met, she'd be shy and tongue-tied again and he'd treat her like he did everyone else. Just thinking about it made her want to cry. She'd had her dream mission and now it was over.

Before her soup could arrive, she cried herself back to sleep. She was too weak and tired to think of a positive solution to her dilemma. That would come another day, because after all, she wasn't the same Hinata who'd left on this mission weeks ago. She'd grown considerably in just a short time. She was a much tougher, stronger, and bolder woman than she'd been before. She'd remember that when she was more herself. Then she would show Naruto what she was really made of. Just wait and see.

* * *

THE END PART ONE.

The story continues in PART TWO tentatively titled:

"Elementary, my dear Naruto."


End file.
